SALAAM.earth and FlyNow Host Roundtable with NIDC on Flying Taxi Testing in Saudi Arabia

• SALAAM.earth and FlyNow held a roundtable in Riyadh on the future of Automated Air Mobility (AAM) in Saudi Arabia.
• Supported by NIDC and the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resource, with participation from GACA, the Ministry of Interior, and RCRC.
• The initiative aims to establish the Kingdom’s first operational AAM testing environment („sandbox“) in Riyadh.
• FlyNow’s eCopter will be the first aircraft tested in the sandbox.
• The initiative brings together all the essential ecosystem partners needed to implement AAM.

SALAAM.earth (Sky Alliance for Automated Air Mobility), an international non-profit organization focused on building Automated Air Mobility (AAM) ecosystems, and FlyNow Arabia Ltd., a Saudi company bringing pilotless electric aircraft for air taxi and automated cargo services to market, hosted a closed-door roundtable in Riyadh with key government and industry stakeholders to discuss the development of an operational testing site for next-generation air mobility systems in Saudi Arabia.

The session was supported by the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources and the National Industrial Development Centre (NIDC), with participation from representatives of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), the Ministry of Interior (MOI), and the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC).

The roundtable focused on enabling real-world testing, validation, and future deployment of automated air mobility technologies in the Kingdom, supporting Saudi Arabia’s ambition to become a global leader in AAM as part of Vision 2030.

eCopter to Be First Aircraft Tested in Saudi Sandbox

A key milestone of the initiative is the planned flight testing of eCopter, developed by FlyNow Aviation, a subsidiary of FlyNow Arabia Ltd., and which is positioned to become one of the first Saudi-built aircraft.

FlyNow’s eCopter is an electric aircraft designed to reduce urban traffic congestion by enabling fast, point-to-point air mobility. It can fly up to 50 km at speeds of 130 km/h, carrying up to two passengers or 200 kg of cargo. Fully electric, it produces zero emissions and offers operating costs comparable to a regular taxi ride, making it an affordable option for everyday mobility. Beyond air taxi services, the eCopter also support applications in firefighting, medical evacuation and cargo operations.

While eCopter will be the first aircraft tested, the sandbox is designed as an open platform that will support testing and integration of next-generation aircraft from other companies.

Building an Integrated AAM Ecosystem

SALAAM.earth brings together key partners across the AAM value chain, including FlyNow Arabia (eCopter platform), Skyroads (air traffic management), GeoTech (geospatial systems), Unified Aviation (vertiports), IAAM.Trust (digital identity layer), MAKONIS (AI & infrastructure integration), Quadron (cybersecurity), and GEM e-Aviation (operations and coordination).

Together, these partners form the foundation of a fully integrated AAM ecosystem combining aircraft, infrastructure, and digital systems.

Yvonne Winter, President of SALAAM.earth, said:

“This is a historic moment for automated air mobility in Saudi Arabia. In close collaboration with the Saudi government, we are moving from vision to reality with a clear goal: improving people’s daily lives by tackling traffic congestion through a completely new form of transportation that is safe and affordable for everyone.”

Dr. Samer Aljabari, Senior Aerospace Advisor of the National Industrial Development Center (NIDC), added:

“Automated air mobility technologies represent a strategic opportunity for Saudi Arabia’s industrial future. Collaboration across public and private sectors is essential to building a globally competitive ecosystem and establishing the Kingdom as a leader in AAM under Vision 2030.”