In light of the WEF’s warnings of rising vehicle emissions, the country is exploring autonomous robots to boost efficiency and sustainability

At a time when cities worldwide are rethinking urban logistics to curb possible rising last-mile delivery emissions, the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZA) has announced plans to adopt cutting-edge Autonomous Final-Mile Delivery Platform-as-a-Service (AFMD PaaS) at Dubai Silicon Oasis.

For its pilot trials, the DIEZ will test the integration of AI-powered delivery robots within urban infrastructures: eight four-story buildings (including business, hospitality, and retail facilities) within Dubai Digital Park.

Designed to navigate seamlessly between indoor and outdoor environments, the intelligent delivery robots can access elevators, secured lobbies, and pedestrian pathways, enabling frictionless, contactless delivery. Parameters such as impact on delivery efficiency; operational cost; sustainability; and scalability for replication across other districts, will be evaluated.

Future phases of the pilot will extend to areas such as residential towers, a private hospital, and a university within the Dubai Silicon Oasis headquarters.

DIEZA’s Deputy Director General, Badr Buhannad, said: “This pilot exemplifies our approach to applied innovation: delivering real-world solutions aligned with Dubai’s D33 Economic Agenda and the 2040 Urban Master Plan. Co-creation and co-innovation are central to our mission, and we look forward to shaping the future of urban mobility…”

The AFMD PaaS being tested is a possible alternative to high-emission delivery vehicles, for alleviating congestion, and enhancing operational efficiency. The system supports real-time route optimization, dynamic scheduling, and modular deployment into existing infrastructure to make it a scalable solution for dense urban environments.

According to Alan Ng, founder and CEO, QuikBot Technologies (Singapore), the incumbent firm in the pilot testing: “We are proud to bring our autonomous platform to one of the world’s most forward-looking cities. This is just the beginning. With the support of visionary partners in both Singapore and Dubai, we’re ready to take this platform to cities across the globe seeking to modernize their last-mile delivery infrastructure.”

The autonomous delivery bots can be quickly loaded with cargo without human intervention.