Look: UAE residents to soon receive parcels delivered by drone, robot?

Aramex on Tuesday announced the successful testing of its drone and roadside bot deliveries in Dubai. This is part of the company’s “Future Delivery Programme” aimed at enhancing last-mile logistics using smart shipping solutions to enable quicker, more sustainable, and cost-effective deliveries.

The initial tests were conducted at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in partnership with BARQ EV, a leading commercial drone delivery service provider in the UAE, and Kiwibot, a Colombia-based company specialising in delivery robotics.

Aramex utilised the drone delivery technology provided by BARQ EV, which is capable of operating multiple and continuous flights at long-range distances and different environments. The drones are equipped with multidirectional sensors and a reliable fleet management system enabling Aramex to have high accuracy across order placements, dispatch management, drone flight routing, and deliveries.

In addition, Kiwibot’s self-driving ground delivery vehicles use a combination of high-tech sensors, cameras, radars, and artificial intelligence to navigate through surroundings and obstacles. It also utilizes an advanced GPS navigation system to generate virtual maps, establish multiple routes, and change course depending on delays or obstacles.

The tests were performed with the support of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSO), Dubai Future Foundation and Dubai Smart City.

Alaa Saoudi, Chief Operating Officer – Express at Aramex, said: “The expansion of our Future Delivery Program in the UAE is a testament to our drive to be at the forefront of last-mile delivery logistics and generate more value for our customers by providing a faster, safer, and greener ways of delivering packages.

"Importantly, it also enables Aramex to further contribute to UAE’s sustainability ambitions as we embark on our mission to transition our fleet to emission-free vehicles and achieve our climate pledge to reach Carbon neutrality by 2030. We are excited about the next chapter of the program and further scale this service to reach more customers.”

This initiative follows Aramex’s successful test of autonomous drone delivery in Muscat, Oman. Aramex plans to expand its drone and robot delivery testing across the Middle East and Africa region, as well as other core markets where it operates.

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