The first passenger-carrying drone trial in the Middle East has been carried out in Abu Dhabi, during Abu Dhabi Mobility Week, authorities said.

The trial involved a small-sized drone, which can carry two passengers for up to 35km. The duration of the flight was approximately 20 minutes.

Trials also included a five-seater drone, capable of travelling more than 250km, and a payload of up to 350kg. The five-seater drone travelled for 123km within a duration of 40 minutes.

The drone trials were conducted by Abu Dhabi Mobility in association with Multi Level Group, a fintech group.

Mohammed Hamad Al Dhaheri, a member of the Board of Directors of the Multi Level Group, said that future plans involved manufacturing drones in the UAE, "starting with drone structure and gradually moving forward until we manufacture small parts such as motors and batteries, ensuring the technology is fully developed and exported from the UAE to the world."