The Dubai Police unveiled a 'flying bike' with multi-rotors at the Gulf Information Technology Exposition (GITEX) on Thursday (October 12).

According to a report in Dubai's English daily Gulf News, the custom-painted hoverbike, dubbed Scorpion, has been developed by Russian drone manufacturer Hoversurf and looks a bit like speeder bikes – also known as jumpspeeders – from the Star Wars franchise.

The hoverbike runs on swappable batteries and can fly for 20-25 minutes on a single charge. The vehicle can reportedly fly up to a height of 5 metres (16 feet) in the air at speeds going up to 70kmph, while carrying 300kg of load. It can also be flown unmanned with a top speed closer to around 100kmph.

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The Scorpion craft uses four drone-like rotors to lift and zoom through the air, with the rider seated at the centre. As Gizmodo points out, these rotors spin at dangerously high-speeds and could prove unsafe, not just for the rider but also for people on the ground.

The announcement of the futuristic 'flying bike' is aimed at providing Dubai Police with the ability to soar over crowds and other obstacles in the case of an emergency, especially when traffic and on-road congestion is at its peak.

However, it is still unclear when Dubai plans to incorporate this hoverbike into its fleet and what safety measures are likely to be in place. The report from Gulf News suggests that the vehicle is still in the testing phase.

Hoversurf CEO Alexander Atamanov took to Facebook (Russian link) to announce that the company and Dubai Police have signed a memorandum of understanding that would enable the Russian manufacturer to start with the mass production of these vehicles in the UAE with the support of local authorities.

The unveiling of the 'flying bike' comes as Dubai continues to incorporate state-of-the-art tech into various fields, like water jet-propelled hoverboards for firefighters or the self-flying drone taxi, which made its successful maiden flight last month.