Developer Miral has signed a partnership with a NASA subsidiary to develop the Middle East’s first “personal rapid transit” system.
The developer behind Abu Dhabi's Yas Island has teamed up with a subsidiary of the NASA space agency in the United States to develop an elevated, high-speed "jet-like" transport system which will connect the island's entertainment and hospitality attractions.
Developer Miral on Wednesday said it had signed a partnership agreement with Californian firm SkyTran to develop what it described as the Middle East's first "personal rapid transit" (PRT) system.
The deal will see the two firms develop computer-controlled, two-person "jet-like" vehicles, or pods, which will travel above the traffic along magnetic elevated strips, Miral said in a press statement.
SkyTran is based at the NASA Ames Research Center in California and specialises in developing elevated high-speed, environmentally-friendly transport systems.
The project will connect existing and future destinations on Yas Island, including Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Yas Waterworld, and the Yas Marina Formula 1 circuit, and will eventually link to Abu Dhabi International Airport.
"With our access to NASA's cutting-edge technology and expertise, we are able to introduce a solution on Yas Island which paves the way for Abu Dhabi to define the Middle East's innovative mode of transport for the future," Jerry Sanders, chief executive officer, SkyTran, said in a press statement.
Over 25 million people visit Yas Island's attractions every year and this is expected to rise to 30 million in 2018 when the Warner Bros. theme park opens.
