Reuters

China–UAE News

Chinese Autonomous Driving Startup Momenta Targets Thousands of Robotaxis and Dubai Launch

Mercedes-backed Chinese autonomous driving startup Momenta plans to expand its robotaxi fleet from over 100 vehicles today to several thousand by the end of next year. The company is currently testing vehicles in Abu Dhabi and Munich, with Dubai scheduled as its next deployment market. To cut costs, Momenta is working with XHeart on custom computing chips as an alternative to Nvidia hardware.

China–UAE News

Momenta Plans Dubai Robotaxi Deployment in 2027 Amid Global Fleet Expansion

Chinese autonomous-driving company Momenta is preparing to introduce robotaxis in Dubai in 2027 as part of an international rollout. The Mercedes-Benz-backed firm aims to expand its operating fleet from just over 100 vehicles to several thousand by the end of 2027. Momenta is already conducting autonomous vehicle testing in Abu Dhabi, Munich, and five Chinese cities.

Middle East Travel Alerts

Flydubai Flight Diverts to Saudi Arabia After Transmitting Hijacking Emergency Signal

A Flydubai aircraft landed at Saudi Arabia's Tabuk Airport to repatriate passengers stranded after a Dubai to Tel Aviv flight made an emergency diversion. The airline dispatched the second aircraft following an onboard flight deck incident that forced the plane down in Saudi territory. Stranded passengers, consisting mostly of Israeli travelers, were boarded onto the recovery flight to complete their journey to Tel Aviv.

Industry News

Chinese Demand and Supply Constraints Cut Russian Crude Flows to Indian Refiners

Indian refiners anticipate tighter supplies of Russian crude in October and November 2026 as China steps up purchases and Russian export availability contracts. According to analytics firm Kpler, Russian crude arrivals in India are projected to decline to approximately 1.75 million barrels per day in September. As a result, Indian buyers are turning to alternative supplies, including UAE Murban crude, Iraqi Basrah, and Angolan barrels.