Dubai: Flying cars are here! Chinese car maker Aridge conducts first manned flight, secures 600 orders

Chinese flying-car maker Aridge (formerly Xpeng Aeroht) conducted its first manned flight in Dubai on Oct 12, 2025 and simultaneously announced a bulk order of 600 units from GCC buyers, adding to more than 7,000 global pre-orders the company says it has. This marks a high-profile move into the Middle East as Aridge pushes toward commercial deliveries. Here’s the cool part: this isn’t just a car with wings. Aridge’s flying car is a modular eVTOL meaning it can drive like a normal car and then take off vertically when the sky calls. Imagine leaving your office, folding up your car’s wings, and cruising over Dubai’s skyline. The demo over Dubai was designed to wow both regulators and wealthy early adopters and yes, it definitely worked.During the demonstration, the flying car hovered effortlessly, performed controlled vertical ascent and descent, and demonstrated a seamless drive-to-fly transition. Witnesses described the scene as a mix of sci-fi spectacle and real-world innovation, with the car’s modular design clearly visible as it folded its wings and prepared for landing. Immediately following the flight, Aridge announced that it had secured 600 pre-orders from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) buyers, underlining strong regional demand for personal flying cars and urban air mobility solutions. This makes Dubai one of the first Middle Eastern cities to host a piloted eVTOL flight and positions the emirate as a key hub for the future of flying vehicles.The event wasn’t just a publicity stunt. It demonstrated the safety, stability, and readiness of Aridge’s flying car technology while giving investors and regulators a clear glimpse of what urban air mobility in Dubai could look like. For enthusiasts and potential buyers, yesterday’s demo was a vivid preview of a future where traffic jams could be replaced by sky lanes and Dubai, as always, wants to be ahead of the curve.So why all the buzz about these 600 orders? Well:It’s a big “look, man - no roads!” moment for Dubai and the Gulf.So who’s behind this futuristic ride? Aridge, formerly known as Xpeng Aeroht, is a Chinese flying-car startup aiming to turn sci-fi dreams into reality. The company has been quietly building electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles (eVTOLs) since 2021, focusing on urban air mobility, basically, cars that can drive on roads and fly in the sky.The Dubai demo wasn’t just a spontaneous joyride. Aridge announced the flight on Oct 12, 2025, giving GCC buyers and the media a chance to see their tech in action. Why Dubai? The city has positioned itself as a global testing ground for futuristic transport, from autonomous cars to air taxis. By hosting the first piloted flight in the Middle East, Aridge signaled two things:Fun fact: the company’s earlier name, Xpeng Aeroht, links it to Xpeng Motors, the Chinese electric car giant, but Aridge is now running independently to focus purely on air mobility. In short, this Dubai flight is a milestone in a carefully plotted global expansion and it’s putting flying cars firmly on the GCC map.So, you’re thinking: “Okay, Dubai looks amazing from above… how do I get one of these flying cars?” Here’s the scoop on Aridge eVTOL orders in the GCC:In short: getting your flying car takes money, patience, and a little bit of daring but for Dubai’s skyline enthusiasts, it could be the ultimate status symbol in urban air mobility.