BARQ EV, the first licensed drone delivery service provider in the UAE, broke two Guinness World Records, by executing the longest flight of a drone for the delivery service at 13.584 km, and the longest non-stop return flight for a drone at 18.065 km.
The previous record was 16.597 km, achieved by LUOLAI (China) in Shanghai on 12 September, 2019.
The achievement is a testament to the technical infrastructure of the UAE, which makes it a centre of innovation and provides a launchpad for start-ups specialising in innovation and technology, said a press release issued by the company.
Ahmad Al Mazrui and Abdullah Abu Sheikh, founders of BARQ EV, said: “We are at the very nascent stage of the company, and we have already broken two Guinness World Records. It is an extremely proud moment for all of us. This achievement is a testimony to our readiness to launch the drone delivery service in the country.
“Earlier, HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of Dubai Executive Council and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), launched the Dubai programme to enable drone transportation. The programme seeks to improve people’s lives by reducing carbon emissions generated by traditional shipping and transportation methods and facilitating the movement of goods. This way, it will contribute to positioning Dubai as one of the smartest cities in the world.”
Al Mazrui and Abu Sheikh pointed at the latest global trend in developing innovative services in the transportation and logistics sector, which ranked fourth among the most funded industries in the MENA region and recorded a growth of 122% in 2021, with several leading companies based in UAE and Egypt.
“BARQ EV is expected to achieve remarkable success in the transportation and logistics sector in the region due to its unique services,” they added.
BARQ EV will be launched in early 2022, backed by three ambitious entrepreneurs in the advanced technology sector. The company is spearheaded by CEO and Co-founder Abu Sheikh, a serial entrepreneur armed with the experience of developing and launching technology projects in the region, including Rizek – a service marketplace in the UAE and Egypt.
Al Mazrui, technology investor in the UAE, has worked in the Abu Dhabi Investment Council and Al Mazoon Investments. The third partner is Mazen Al-Jubeir, an early investor in technology projects, who has made successful investments in the mobility sector with Careem and Mrsool.
The three entrepreneurs aim to make the transport and logistics sector more sustainable through environmentally-friendly complexes and to achieve the company’s vision of supporting service providers to achieve economic success based on providing innovative integrated solutions and charting a new path for service providers by implementing a comprehensive system focused on smart solutions.
