Talabat has partnered with Singapore-based deep technology company QuikBot to test autonomous robots for deliveries inside high-rise buildings in Dubai. The companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding and launched a live pilot aimed at addressing one of the more time-consuming parts of urban food delivery: the final journey from a building entrance or designated handover point to the customer’s door. The pilot is currently operating at Dubai Digital Park’s A6 commercial building in Dubai Silicon Oasis, where the two companies are testing how autonomous robots can support delivery riders in a real-world environment. The initiative is focused on improving delivery efficiency in vertical buildings while allowing riders to spend more time completing additional orders.
Under the pilot model, talabat riders will hand orders to a QuikBot robot at a designated location inside the building. The robot will then take over the remaining part of the delivery, including navigating through the building, using elevators and reaching the customer’s door. Customers will collect their orders using a one-time password, allowing the handover to take place without requiring the delivery rider to complete the entire journey through the building. High-rise deliveries can require riders to check in at buildings, wait for elevators and navigate large commercial or residential spaces before reaching customers. By shifting these tasks to autonomous robots, the companies are testing whether delivery times can be reduced while allowing riders to return to their vehicles and continue serving other customers more quickly.
The robots operate using QuikSync, a technology platform designed to provide each robot with a cryptographic identity and manage its interactions with buildings and people. QuikBot says the system forms the trust layer for its Physical AI technology and supports its Autonomous Final-Mile Delivery Platform-as-a-Service. The company already operates the platform with logistics companies in Singapore and the United Arab Emirates. QuikBot is also testing a related first-mile pickup model in which robots collect orders from locations such as shopping malls and move them to a curbside location where riders can collect them. According to the company, this approach could return an estimated 15 to 20 minutes of productive capacity to each rider every hour. The model is designed to assist delivery teams rather than replace riders, with robots handling specific parts of the delivery journey.
During the Dubai pilot, talabat and QuikBot will assess the time savings achieved for riders and examine how their respective systems operate together. The companies will use the results to determine whether deeper product integration and a broader rollout of autonomous delivery robots could be practical across talabat’s operations. Simonida Subotic, Vice President and Managing Director of talabat UAE, said the pilot will help the company explore how autonomous robotics can simplify complex elements of high-rise deliveries, including building access and elevator transit. QuikBot Chief Executive Officer Alan Ng said infrastructure is an important part of autonomous delivery because robots operating inside buildings require verified identity, permissions and accountability. The Dubai Digital Park pilot will therefore serve as an early test of how robotic delivery technology can operate within existing buildings and delivery networks before the companies consider wider deployment.
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