Archer Aviation, a developer of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, entered into an agreement with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) pursuant to which the parties intend to work together to make Abu Dhabi Archer’s first international launch partner, with plans to commence air taxi operations in Abu Dhabi in 2026.

As part of this strategic initiative, ADIO plans to support Archer with incentives for establishing its first international headquarters and manufacturing facilities in the newly announced Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industry (SAVI) Cluster in Abu Dhabi.

SAVI aims to position Abu Dhabi as a leading smart and autonomous vehicles hub, making significant contributions across air, land and sea mobility applications. SAVI will support innovation and the commercialization of smart and autonomous vehicle technologies in the UAE by providing state-of-the art facilities and value-added services within an enabling regulatory environment.

ADIO and Archer held a signing ceremony at which they, along with several other aviation industry participants from across the region, including Falcon Aviation and GAL-AMMROC, committed to support this strategic initiative. Archer is still in discussions with numerous other industry participants that it plans to announce MOUs with when the company is in the region to showcase its Midnight aircraft at the Dubai Air Show from 13-17 November, as well as the Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels (CAAF) hosted by ICAO and the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) the following week in Dubai.

Archer is seeking to work with its global manufacturing partner Stellantis, as well as local partners in the UAE, to build out its aircraft manufacturing capabilities and its Center of Excellence in Abu Dhabi. Archer’s Center of Excellence will be focused on the development and implementation of next-generation aviation technologies.

Archer is working with numerous industry partners across the UAE to support its plans to commercialize operations in the UAE by 2026. Archer signed MOUs with Falcon Aviation who will operate its air taxis across Dubai and Abu Dhabi, as well as GAL-AMMROC who will provide MRO support for Archer’s eVTOL aircraft.

Archer’s goal is to transform urban travel, replacing 60–90-minute commutes by car with estimated 10-20 minute electric air taxi flights that are safe, sustainable, low noise, and cost-competitive with ground transportation. Archer’s Midnight is a piloted, four-passenger aircraft designed to perform rapid back-to-back flights with minimal charge time between flights.