A US startup pursuing Elon Musk's futuristic vision of insanely fast pod-based transport announced this week that it intends to build the world's first Hyperloop system in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The 159-kilometre (99 miles) route between the cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi usually takes about 2 hours by car, but according to engineers at Hyperloop One, a Hyperloop pod could get you there in just 12 minutes – reaching a top speed of 1,220 km/h (760 mph).