Paradigm shift

Internal combustion engines have had their day, and it is time we embraced the future

Tesla Motors unveils the new lower-priced Model 3 sedan at the Tesla Motors design studio. Justin Prichard / AP Photo

Orders for Tesla’s latest electric car are already exceeding planned supply. Priced at a reasonable $35,000 (Dh128,000), the cars are helping consumers in the United States kiss petrol cars goodbye. In this climate of falling oil prices, electric cars could be seen as a threat but are actually an opportunity.

The internal combustion engine technology that has powered our cars has been around for over a century. Change to more sustainable power sources is long overdue but requires investment in the infrastructure to sustain next generation electric cars. We can be at the forefront of such a paradigm change of how people get around their daily lives.

Our region is a hive of innovation, so there is no time to lose in applying our skills to the fast growing sector of electric transportation. The train, as it were, is leaving the station. This is the to jump on board and start creating the future, right in the heart of the Middle East.