Aerial drone delivery coming to Abu Dhabi

An aerial drone delivery initiative is coming to the United Arab Emirates’ capital city soon. 

The Emirati logistics company AD Ports Group is partnering with the UAE’s national mail service Emirates Post Group and the Hong Kong-based aerial logistics provider Skygo logistics to test drone delivery services in Abu Dhabi. The program will utilize unmanned aerial vehicles to deliver packages and documents to Emirates Post sites across Abu Dhabi. Food and medicine will be among the delivered goods, AD Ports Group said in a press release. 

Why it matters: The use of drones for delivery services is growing in some parts of the world. The US retail giant Amazon is notably working on developing a program. 

In the Middle East, drones have been used for delivery services in Israel. Last year, drones delivered sushi, beer, ice cream and more across the country as part of the National Drone Initiative, The Times of Israel reported at the time. 

Drones may emit less carbon than delivery trucks, but the use of drones could also threaten jobs. 

Know more: The UAE is also working to build up its military drone capabilities. Last month, the country received a batch of Turkish armed drones. 

In January, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels launched a drone attack on the UAE, which led the Gulf state to ask the Pentagon for help bolstering its air support.