Skip to main content

9 high-tech examples that prove Dubai is the world’s most futuristic city

In addition to being home to some of the world’s most luxurious hotels and biggest shopping malls, Dubai has also carved out a well-deserved reputation for being willing to go big with the latest emerging technology. From robotic police forces to autonomous taxis, here are our picks for Dubai’s most exciting (and, if you don’t live there, envy-inducing) tech innovations.

Firefighters with jetpacks

الدولفين

The saying “fight fire with fire” doesn’t mean much in Dubai. Instead, they prefer to do their firefighting with jetpacks.

That’s thanks to a deal between Martin Aircraft and the Dubai Civil Defense (DCD), which involves rolling out a number of custom $35k water-powered jetpacks, which can be used to put out fires along the city’s extensive shoreline. The device allows the firefighters to get a better vantage point for extinguishing blazes, as well as dodging the traffic.

Autonomous drone taxis

RTA and Volocopter operate Autonomous Air Taxi (AAT) in Dubai

While most cities are still caught up wondering about regular self-driving cars, Dubai is busy putting self-driving flying cars through their paces. Given a test flight last month, Dubai’s the Autonomous Air Taxi (AAT) is described as the world’s first “self-flying taxi service.”

Although it’s not yet available commercially, the 18-rotor flying drone promises to be the eco-friendly, electrically-powered transportation solution of tomorrow — so long as you don’t want a flight longer than 30 minutes, that is!

The hotel of the future

Zas Architects
Zas Architects

Planning a trip to Dubai next year, and looking for somewhere high-tech to stay? If so, you might want to check into the Rosemont Five Star Hotel & Residences. Still in development at the time this article was written, the 450 room hotel boasts a high end restaurant, manmade beach, giant aquarium, infinity pool, and more.

The reason the hotel made this list, though? Giant 36-degree computer-generated rainforests in the public areas, and a robotic host on the reception desk. It’s like you’ve gone on holiday to the future.

A real life robo-cop

Less smiley, but just as metallic as the robot host at the Rosemont Five Star Hotel is Dubai’s latest law enforcement officer. The first robot cop was introduced this summer, complete with a camera for transmitting live images and identifying suspects, and a touch screen which can be used by members of the public to report crimes and ask questions. According to the Smart Services division of the Dubai police, such humanoid robots will make up an entire quarter of the local police force by 2030.

Autonomous police cars

OTSAW Digital
OTSAW Digital

Not content to just have humanoid robot cops on the street, Dubai has also signed an agreement with Singaporean startup called OTSAW Digital to introduce self-driving cop cars. The “cars” themselves are more like a child’s pedal car in size, and have a top speed of just 9.3 mph, but they boast the same LIDAR and sensing technology as larger autonomous vehicles. Most importantly, they can act as portable surveillance systems to search for wanted individuals or vehicles, or suspicious objects left unattended.

Mega solar plant

solar park
AETOS Wire
AETOS Wire

Having last month received a contract to build yet another extension, Dubai’s Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park will eventually stretch to cover a massive 83 square miles, making it the world’s largest single-site solar park.

As if that wasn’t enough of a record breaker, it will also soon boast an enormous 260-meter (853-foot) solar tower, the tallest in the world. It’s a key ingredient in the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, which aims to increase the share of clean energy in the city to 7 percent by 2020, 25 percent by 2030, and a massive 75 percent by 2050.

Plus, it totally looks like the HQ for a future James Bond villain!

The Red Planet on Earth

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Just when you think Dubai is out of ideas, you hear about plans to build an enormous “space simulation city” that will offer up, “a viable and realistic model to simulate living on the surface of Mars.”

With a budget of $135 million and a footprint stretching to 1.9 million square feet, the Mars Science City will simulate as closely as possible the conditions of a real life Mars colony — complete with greenhouses for testing out agricultural techniques, solar radiation-blocking 3D printed walls, and far more.

It’s all part of a plan for the United Arab Emirates to send its first unmanned probe to Mars in 2020, and establish a colony there sometime in the next century.

The tallest building in existence

Burj Khalifa, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Image used with permission by copyright holder

What kind of super city of the future would Dubai be without laying claim to the world record for world’s tallest skyscraper? The Burj Khalifa stands at a whopping 2,722 feet, giving it a comfortable 700 feet on the second highest building in the world.

A great example of Neo-futurism that could come straight out of the world of Blade Runner, the Burj is an angular masterpiece of engineering which contains a luxury hotel, observation decks, apartments, corporate offices, restaurants, observatories, and the world’s highest nightclub. Not to be missed. Unless you’re terrified of heights, we guess.

Iced coffee delivered by drone on the beach

UAE Costa Drone Drop!

When you think about the kind of optimistic future promised to us by (some) science fiction writers, what could sound more utopian than a drone descending from the heavens to deliver you an iced coffee while you’re lounging on the beach?

That’s something Costa’s Jumeirah Beach Drive-Thru store trialled earlier this year in the swanky Kite Beach area of Dubai, with its niftily-named Coffee-Copter. While there’s no guarantee that this becomes a permanent fixture of the beach scene, it speaks volumes about Dubai’s zany innovation that this was even trialled.

Luke Dormehl
I'm a UK-based tech writer covering Cool Tech at Digital Trends. I've also written for Fast Company, Wired, the Guardian…
Sebastian Stan lays out Bucky’s future after Thunderbolts
Sebastian Stan in Thunderbolts.

There are some spoilers ahead for the ending of Marvel's Thunderbolts. Stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled.

Earlier this year, Captain America: Brave New World briefly introduced a new direction for James "Bucky" Barnes, a character Sebastian Stan has been playing since 2011 in Captain America: The First Avenger. In Brave New World, the former Winter Soldier apparently retired from being a reformed hero and went into politics by running for Congress. Thunderbolts reveals that Bucky won his election to the House of Representatives. But his stay in Congress was short.

Read more
Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?
jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii  4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

Read more
Charlie Cox singles out his least favorite Daredevil: Born Again episode
Charlie Cox in Daredevil: Born Again.

Daredevil: Born Again season 1 was largely reconceived after the 2023 actor and writer strikes. Dario Scardapane -- a veteran of The Punisher series on Netflix -- was brought in to be the new showrunner and he made a lot of changes to the series that were well-received. However, there's one episode that Scardapane didn't really change at all, and it happens to be the least favorite episode of Daredevil: Born Again's leading man, Charlie Cox.

During an appearance on The Playlist, Cox noted that he wasn't very fond of the season's fifth episode, "With Interest," which was a largely standalone episode that featured his character, Matt Murdock, in a bank during a hostage crisis.

Read more