Zeleros shares the vision for hyperloop in the Middle East
- Zeleros and partners see the Middle East as one of the most promising regions in the world for hyperloop networks to flourish.
- Company executives have presented the study at the Spain Pavilion of Expo 2020 Dubai, where Zeleros’ Z01 hyperloop vehicle is exhibited until March 2022
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 2nd November 2021:
Zeleros, the European company based in Valencia that develops a scalable hyperloop system, has presented its vision for a hyperloop network in the Middle East, which is included in its recently released report “A global hyperloop network. Vision 2050 & beyond”. The vision was presented at Spain Pavilion of Expo 2020 Dubai, where Zeleros is exhibiting its Z01 hyperloop vehicle until March 2022.
The Middle East, especially the UAE and Saudi Arabia, has shown to the world its transformational capacity of a purpose-driven society, by means of rolling out some of the most futuristic and prominent cities worldwide, in just a few decades. A new strategic purpose was merged with this vision: a shift in their economy, going from an oil-based economy towards a technological, know-how driven and sustainable model, providing a combination of value-added services and products with high income thanks to cultural tourism.
To this end, the UAE’s Centennial strategic plan invests in the future generations by preparing them with the skills and knowledge needed to face rapid changes. This plan is putting much emphasis on investment in promising sectors, focusing on innovation, entrepreneurship, and advanced industries. All these initiatives, to achieve a final, major goal: “To place the UAE among the most important, international economies
Similarly, the Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategic plan, aims to, in the words of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Vice-President of the Council of Ministers: “[…] provide better opportunities for partnerships […] with our leading investment capabilities, and our strategic geographical position. ”A key objective for the Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan, includes becoming a global logistics hub through providing competitive transport services, and capturing maximum benefit from existing and new infrastructures”.
The boost from the UAE and Saudi governments (as well as other GCC countries) to deploy cutting edge technologies to manage their water systems, energy, logistic at ports, and to bring the most advanced construction techniques to build the Burj Khalifa, are just some of the examples of a conscious aim to become technologically advanced nations. Therefore, innovators from every corner of the world are welcomed by the Middle East and its leaders, as they are hungry to attract technologies that can introduce better living conditions to their citizens.
By 2040, it is expected that 90% of the population in the UAE and 94% in Saudi Arabia, will live in urban areas. This context demands new forms of living and the reshaping of mobility will be one of the major courts.
“Novel technologies like hyperloop have a great potential to provide citizens with best-in-class solutions providing a technological advancement for the region where it is deployed. With Zeleros’ novel approach to hyperloop we can minimize infrastructure costs per kilometre and provide a straight certification journey to make it on time to meet the ambitious growth and sustainability goals of Middle East countries” highlights Juan Vicén, Co-Founder and CMO at Zeleros.
The report has been crafted in close cooperation with leading organizations from different world regions. In the case of the study for the Middle East, this has been supported by TYPSA, leading engineering company that has participated in key transportation projects in the region.
Carlos Pérez Martínez, Business Development Middle East at TYPSA, highlights “The Middle East is in the race to become the early adopter and first commercial client of hyperloop. All key factors are in place as the region, especially Saudi and the UAE, are seeking to position flagship cities as global hubs for technologists and innovators and having a hyperloop network would definitely bring them into the next level in terms of modernity”.
Virtually all Arabic countries ratified the Paris Agreement to keep global temperature from rising more than 1,5ºC by 2050. A myriad of activities and relevant projects have been deployed in the last decade. Relevant initiatives tried to build entire sustainable cities like Masdar City, a living laboratory to demonstrate technologies and urban designs that have the potential to influence future urban development worldwide. Also, energy is a field with major activity. One example is the UAE’s support to solar energy, which has led to the construction of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Solar Park, the largest single-site solar park in the world, with investments of AED 50 billion. Similarly, the Al Dhafra project in Abu Dhabi is set to be the largest solar plant in the world, with the capacity to power approximately 160 000 households, across the UAE, with electricity.
“The combination of a massive deployment of renewable energy sources with novel urban developments, including advanced passenger mobility, is the perfect ecosystem in which disruptive transport means such as hyperloop could bring substantial benefits to the region and its citizens” says Luis Navarro, Chief Operating Officer at Zeleros.
The Middle East region is proudly hosting some of the most ambitious engineering projects ever implemented, as is the case of Saudi Arabia with the high-speed rail connecting Mecca to Medina, crossing the desert. However, innovation is not sufficient to irrigate in the region if it is not aligned with an outstanding comfort and quality, as for instance their Airlines show off. Qatar Airways, Emirates, Etihad Airways and Saudia are global references for passengers seeking a premium experience. Envisioning a hyperloop network, connecting the UAE in a matter of minutes, as well as the major cities in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, has the potential to become a reality as soon as the technology is available in 2030.
“Hyperloop represents a major lever to fulfil some of the most ambitious goals of the region: decarbonizing the economy, a superior intercity mobility and enhancing the region as a global logistic hub” concluded Juan Vicén.
Zeleros keeps growing. In October the company premiered its Z01 model kickstarting its exhibition at Spain Pavilion (Expo 2020 Dubai). In July, the company included new infrastructure partner Acciona, rolling stock manufacturer CAF group and energy group EIT Innoenergy to its shareholders, and also announced the construction of a pilot project for its linear motor system used in hyperloop to decarbonise logistical operations in ports and airports. The rapid growth of Zeleros positions Europe in an exceptional way, laying a solid foundation for the implementation of hyperloop routes throughout the world, setting a benchmark once again in high-speed land transport systems.
Route examples:
Jeddah – Riyadh in only 60 minutes. Abu Dhabi – Dubai in less than 15 minutes.
Key Corridors
The main corridor for a Vision 2050:
Further connections:
Opportunity to connect the Middle East countries with other regions like Europe or India by ground connection.
Key Impact Indicators
Impact of a fully developed hyperloop network in Middle East:
A hyperloop network of more than 4500 km has the potential to connect 15 key Middle East cities, enabling travel to 75 Million passengers per year and logistic operations in the amount of 1,5 Million tonnes of freight per year, thus creating a 60 Billion AED revenue opportunity per year and what’s more exciting, saving 320 Million tonnes of C02 avoided during its lifetime.
Sources:
1 – United Arab Emirates. (2020). UAE Centennial 2071
2 – Vision 2030. Message from HRH Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud. Retrieved from
httpsi/vision2030.gov.sa/eNvision/crown-message
3 – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. (2018). National Industrial Development & Logistics Program.
4 – BESIX (2009). Group Activity Report.
5 – Oxford Economics. (2017). Global Infrastructure Outlook
6 – United Nations. (2015, 12 12). Status of 7raties. 7. d – Pans Agreement Retrieved from https://treaties.un.org
7 – Masdar. Retrieved from https://masdahae/
8 – Government of Dubai. Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maldoum Solar Park. Retrieved from https://www.dewa.gov.ae/en/about-us/strategic-initiatives
9 – ADIF. Lineas Internacional: Saudi Arabian high speed will have Spanish roots.
