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Sweden and the United Arab Emirates are joining forces to promote bilateral cooperation through a recently entered trucking deal in Abu Dhabi. An agreement has been initiated between the United Arab Emirates and the Swedish technology company Einride to contribute to building the electrified road freight infrastructure within the Falcon Rise Grid project in Abu Dhabi. This partnership is expected not only to modernize the freight sector but also to open doors for further trade opportunities between the two nations.
Einride plans to deploy an impressive 1,000 electric heavy-duty trucks and 100 autonomous vehicles across Abu Dhabi and Al Ain while establishing charging infrastructure to support the electrified fleet. This significant deal, signed last month with the Integrated Transport Centre and its parent company Abu Dhabi Department of Municipalities and Transport, is a critical part of the goal to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the road transport sector in the emirate by 30 percent by 2030.
Robert Ziegler, General Manager for EMEA at Einride, emphasized that the partnership with Abu Dhabi will support their long-term vision for electrification in the region and help shape incentives and policies. Founded in 2016, Einride has already positioned itself as a pioneer in autonomous electric transport and has received approval to operate on public roads in both Sweden and the USA.
Massoud Biouki, Trade Commissioner for Sweden to the United Arab Emirates, sees the Einride/Abu Dhabi deal as a positive signal for the growing investment and cooperation climate between the countries. He notes that the interest among Swedish companies to establish themselves in the United Arab Emirates and the Middle East region has significantly increased.
Swedish exporters have witnessed an impressive surge, totaling $870 million in 2022, representing a 27 percent increase compared to the previous year. However, despite this, a survey conducted last year by Business Sweden highlights a significant trade imbalance, with Swedish import amounts from the United Arab Emirates remaining relatively small at around $100 million.
Biouki identifies transport, IT, and energy as key sectors to drive trade growth between the two countries and highlights that several cooperation agreements have already been concluded in areas such as small and medium-sized enterprises, research and development, environmental technology, and innovation.
The recently signed agreement between Sweden's Saab and the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defence for in-service support for Saab's GlobalEye airborne early warning and control system for $190 million also illustrates the increasing ties between the two nations in the high-tech sector.
The ongoing development of the Falcon Rise Grid project, which will span 550 km and include 2,000 electric trucks, 200 autonomous trucks, and eight charging stations, marks a milestone in the transition to sustainable road transport in the region. Einride and Abu Dhabi are thus at the forefront of this innovative and forward-looking endeavor.