Virgin Hyperloop One is set to open an office in the UAE, its first outside the United States, it has been announced.
Harj Dhaliwal, managing director for the company's Middle East and India region told CNN that the office will be based in Dubai as it develops plans to transport people from Dubai to Abu Dhabi in just 12 minutes.
The proposed scheme will see high-speed pods transport passengers at up to 1,200 kilometres per hour along a vacuum-sealed track.
“We are actually setting up our first office outside of the US in Dubai,” Dhaliwal was quoted as saying.
The office decision comes just weeks after Dubai's port operator DP World joined hands with Virgin Hyperloop One to create a global firm that will build high-speed cargo delivery systems.
The new company, DP World Cargospeed, will create futuristic transport systems using Hyperloop's tube-based technology to deliver goods and link existing road, rail and air transport infrastructure.
The Hyperloop technology uses electromagnets to accelerate trains through a low-pressure tube, allowing the vehicle to glide silently with little to turbulence.
Virgin Hyperloop One chairman Sir Richard Branson previously praised Dubai for “always being at the cutting edge” of technology innovations".