7 November 2026
Lootah Robotics opened the UAE’s first dedicated humanoid robotics showroom on Sheikh Zayed Road near the Dubai International Financial Centre on Friday 6 November 2026, The National reported. It held 28 robots on opening day, with 3 more due on Saturday and a further 16 the week after. Purchase prices run from AED 50,000 to AED 3 million, and rental starts below AED 5,000. The launch ties into the Dubai Robotics and Automation Programme, which targets 200,000 robots by 2032 and a 9% contribution to Dubai’s GDP.
What opened on Sheikh Zayed Road
At the opening, five humanoid robots presented, danced and played football with children, who were graduates of the company’s own robotics academy. Dozens of guests attended and more than 4,000 viewers followed a livestream. Offices and a warehouse with additional units sit above the showroom floor.
The company’s website uses the name YS Lootah Robotics and describes it as part of the Yousuf Saeed Lootah Investment Group. It calls the company the official Pudu Robotics distributor in the UAE and says it also carries selected Unitree and AgiBot robots, with local sales, demonstration, deployment and training.
| Term | Lootah Robotics showroom |
|---|---|
| Opening date | Friday 6 November 2026 |
| Location | Sheikh Zayed Road, near DIFC, Dubai |
| Founder | Yousif Al Lootah |
| Stock on opening day | 28 robots |
| Announced arrivals | 3 on Saturday, 16 the week after |
| Purchase price | AED 50,000 to AED 3 million |
| Rental | from below AED 5,000 into the hundreds of thousands of AED, period not stated |
| Sales model | sale to select customers, rental to others |
The National gives no total for the stock. The three announced figures add up to 47 robots.
What is on offer and what it costs
The range goes beyond humanoids. Mr Al Lootah listed cleaning and service robots, inspection robots, what he called “oil dump robots” and a robot for fire and safety systems that he said works in construction and oil and gas companies.
He compared the price range to cars: “Some robots are the cost of a sports car, others a luxury car, and some an economical car.” The company had already sold humanoid robots to private customers before the showroom opened.
The offer also goes beyond the hardware. “When we sell the robot, it’s not just our robot,” he said. “We need the programming, we need the operation, the maintenance for it.”
Three points remain open in the published information. The report does not state the period behind the rental price, it gives no price per model, and it does not say whether programming, operation and maintenance are included in the price. The company’s website works through quotation requests. Robaru, a service whose website says it is powered by YS Lootah Robotics, advertises rental by the hour, day or month.
How the showroom fits Dubai’s robotics programme
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, launched the Dubai Robotics and Automation Programme in 2022. The Dubai Future Foundation developed it. According to the UAE Government portal, it aims to raise the sector’s contribution to Dubai’s GDP to 9% before 2032 and to provide 200,000 robots by 2032, with the goal of placing Dubai among the top 10 cities in the field.
The programme names five focus areas: production and manufacturing, consumer services and tourism, connected mobility and logistics, extreme environments and healthcare. Its five initiatives are a council for robotics and automation, an act for the use of robots, an academic excellence programme, experimental living labs and an enterprise adoption programme.
Mr Al Lootah told The National that Dubai will have more than 200,000 robots by 2032, and that robots will not replace people at work: “It’s going to enhance the work of the people.” Both statements are his own view.
The market figures behind the launch
- Global shipments. Nearly 25,000 humanoid robots shipped worldwide in the first half of 2026, up 432% year on year, with revenue above USD 740 million (about AED 2.72 billion), according to International Data Corporation (IDC).
- Market leaders. AgiBot, one of the brands on the Lootah Robotics website, shipped more than 8,600 units, about 35% of the total, according to IDC data supplied by AgiBot to Robotics and Automation News.
- UAE forecast. Horizon Databook projects the UAE humanoid robot market to grow from USD 7.4 million in 2025 (about AED 27 million) to USD 156.8 million within seven years (about AED 576 million), a compound annual rate above 40% through 2033.
- Official statement. At AI Everything 2026, Faisal Al Bannai, adviser to the UAE President and Secretary General of the ATRC, projected that the UAE would become the largest deployer of autonomous vehicles and advanced robotics outside China within a year, The National reported.
The figures are forecasts or market estimates, not official statistics. They sit alongside other recent automation news in the Emirates: a report by the UAE AI Office and AWS put AI adoption at 72% of UAE businesses, and Ras Al Khaimah launched an Autonomous Vehicle Sandbox on 30 October 2026.
What this means for companies in the UAE
The opening does not change any rule or fee. What it adds is a physical place in Dubai where a company can see several types of robot and discuss both purchase and rental. Mr Al Lootah named construction and oil and gas companies as users of the fire and safety robot, and the range also includes cleaning, service and inspection models.
A company considering a robot should settle these points before signing:
- the period behind the rental price and any minimum term;
- whether programming, operation and maintenance are included or priced separately;
- who operates the robot day to day and who responds if it stops on site;
- whether the model suits the actual site and task, since cleaning, inspection and fire and safety robots do different jobs;
- who carries liability and insurance for the robot on site, confirmed with the site owner and the insurer.
The programme lists an act for the use of robots among its initiatives, but we did not find a published text of it when preparing this article. Requirements for a specific site should be checked at the time of deployment.
A company that plans to sell, rent out or service robots in the UAE usually needs:
- a UAE trade licence with business activities that match the actual work: sale, rental or maintenance;
- a choice between mainland and free zone that fits where its customers and sites are;
- a check of import and conformity requirements for each model;
- a corporate bank account in the UAE;
- corporate tax registration, and VAT registration where the turnover threshold is met;
- work visas for technicians and programmers.
How Atlant Capital can help
We help international suppliers, distributors and service companies enter the UAE market: choosing the jurisdiction and business activities, company setup on the mainland or in a free zone, opening a corporate bank account, visas for founders and staff, and tax registration. Our guide to company formation in the UAE sets out the steps, documents and typical timelines.
Conclusion
Lootah Robotics opened near DIFC on 6 November 2026 with 28 robots and 19 more announced, at purchase prices from AED 50,000 to AED 3 million and rental from below AED 5,000. Dubai’s programme targets 200,000 robots by 2032. For a business, the published prices are a starting point: the rental period and the cost of programming, operation and maintenance still have to be confirmed with the seller.
Source: The National, UAE Government portal, Dubai Future Foundation, Robotics and Automation News, YS Lootah Robotics, Robaru.
FAQ
Where is the first humanoid robot showroom in the UAE?
It is on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, near the Dubai International Financial Centre. Lootah Robotics opened it on Friday 6 November 2026, and The National describes it as the UAE’s first dedicated humanoid robotics showroom. The company’s website gives the address as Showroom No 03, Sheikh Zayed Road, Trade Center Second.
How much does a robot cost at the Dubai showroom?
Purchase prices at Lootah Robotics run from AED 50,000 to AED 3 million, depending on the robot. The National reports only this range and gives no price per model, and the company’s website works through quotation requests. It is also not stated whether programming, operation and maintenance are included.
Can a company rent a robot in Dubai instead of buying one?
Yes. Lootah Robotics plans to sell to select customers and rent to others. Rental starts below AED 5,000 and climbs into the hundreds of thousands of AED, although the report does not state the rental period. Robaru, a service powered by YS Lootah Robotics, advertises rental by the hour, day or month.
What is the Dubai Robotics and Automation Programme?
It is a programme launched in 2022 by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, and developed by the Dubai Future Foundation. It aims to provide 200,000 robots by 2032, raise the sector’s contribution to Dubai’s GDP to 9% and place Dubai among the world’s top 10 cities in robotics and automation.
