UAE opens its first humanoid robotics showroom as Dubai races to 200,000 robots
The UAE's first dedicated humanoid robotics showroom opened its doors on Sheikh Zayed Road on Friday, drawing crowds to a demonstration that featured five humanoid robots presenting, dancing and playing football with children. Lootah Robotics, the company behind the launch, staged the opening at its showroom near the Dubai International Financial Centre with dozens of guests on the floor and more…
On Friday, the UAE debuted its inaugural humanoid robotics showroom on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, attracting a throng of visitors to witness five robots demonstrating skills such as presenting, dancing, and playing football with children. The showcase, held by Lootah Robotics near the Dubai International Financial Centre, featured over 4,000 live viewers from around the world, tracking their locations through a live ticker.
The event underscored the nation's objective to amass 200,000 robots by 2032, as part of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed's Dubai Robotics and Automation Programme launched in 2022. This initiative aims to integrate robotics into Dubai's GDP, contributing up to 9 percent by 2032. Founder Yousif Al Lootah emphasized that the robots would not replace humans but rather enhance their work.
The timing of the opening aligns with a worldwide surge in humanoid robot shipments, which surged by 432 percent in the first half of 2026, with nearly 25,000 units shipped and revenues surpassing $740 million. The UAE market is projected to expand from $7.4 million in 2025 to $156.8 million by 2033, according to Horizon Databook, with Looting Robotics projecting a 40 percent compound annual growth rate through 2033.
The showroom, initially holding 28 robots, will soon showcase additional units including cleaning, inspection, oil dump, and safety robots. Pricing varies, ranging from Dh50,000 to Dh3 million for purchase, and below Dh5,000 to hundreds of thousands of dirhams for rental. Lootah Robotics has already sold humanoid robots to private clients before the showroom's inauguration, extending their commercial services to programming, operation, and maintenance support.
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