Property developer Arada has launched Yalla, a mobility solution offering e-bikes and e-scooters to residents and visitors at its communities in United Arab Emirates.
The first roll-out of Yalla provides dockless electric bikes and scooters throughout the Aljada megaproject in Sharjah. Yalla enables users to rapidly and seamlessly hire their mobility option through a dedicated app and website.
Aljada is Sharjah’s largest urban mixed-use project covering nearly 2.3 million square metres (24 million square feet). Construction work on Aljada began in the first quarter of 2018, with the entire project scheduled for completion in 2025. Arada says that users of Yalla can now head to neighbourhoods, districts and boulevards within the mega-community with energy-efficient, hassle-free alternatives to driving.
The award-winning Aljada mega-community features 25,000 homes and is said to be a transformational destination for Sharjah, with extensive retail, hospitality, entertainment, sporting, educational, healthcare components and a business park, all set within a green urban master plan.
Yalla rentals are open to adults aged 18 and over and are available in multiple Aljada locations in addition to parking and charging stations. A single charge is enough to cover 50km on a Yalla pedal-assist e-bike or 20km on an e-scooter. Yalla mobility options are designed for safety as well as convenience, thanks to headlights, digital riding modes and speed limits capped at 25km/h.
“The Yalla mobility solution is a valuable addition to Aljada’s sustainable smart-city framework,” said Ahmed Alkhoshaibi, group chief executive of Arada. “In addition to providing an economical alternative to getting behind the wheel of a car, Yalla offers a travel solution that reduces overall carbon emissions and encourages active lifestyles and is in line with the UAE’s target to cut emissions by 40% by 2030.”
The company said that e-mobility is just one aspect of Arada’s plans to build a smart city at Aljada that will also incorporate smart solar power solutions, smart waste management, smart traffic management and the introduction of a so-called sustainable lane for electric vehicles.
