• Pilot tests of robots at City Centre Mirdif to help shoppers find destinations within the mall and analyze their interactions with them.

Dubai: Majid Al Futtaim, the leading shopping mall, retail, and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, announced its partnership with Dubai Future Labs, part of the Dubai Future Foundation, to deploy robotics in the retail sector, contributing to a unique and futuristic experience for shoppers.

This collaboration aims to explore opportunities to employ robots to enhance customer experiences in shopping malls, hotels, entertainment venues, and other venues. The collaboration will include the development of real-world experiences, pilot programs, and public demonstrations to test the role of advanced technological applications in helping shoppers feel more informed, more comfortable, and more connected.

Pilot tests of robots are being conducted at City Centre Mirdif to help visitors navigate the mall and suggest options to visit the stores they are looking for. The robots' interactions with the robots are being studied and analyzed to enhance the robots' efficiency and ability to offer new and appropriate robotic solutions to shoppers, taking into account legal, ethical, and societal considerations.

Khalifa Al Qama, Director of Dubai Future Labs, said: "This collaboration with Majid Al Futtaim comes within the framework of the Dubai Robotics and Automation Program, which aims to support the development, testing, and adoption of robotics technologies and accelerate the adoption of these advanced technological applications across key economic sectors. This will contribute to strengthening Dubai's regional and global leadership, making it one of the best cities of the future and the most prepared to employ and develop future technologies."

The project embodies Majid Al Futtaim's broader vision to reimagine the future of customer experiences through the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies. Rather than simply showcasing innovations, the experience focuses on leveraging live interaction and real-time feedback to drive beneficial future applications of robotics in the retail sector. From guiding visitors to their desired destination and facilitating access, to improving response times and operational efficiency, the City Centre Mirdif initiative represents the first phase in a multi-layered journey to expand the scope of AI-powered solutions across Majid Al Futtaim's portfolio. This project is one of several technology initiatives the group is implementing as part of its broader digital transformation strategy, all designed to deliver seamless, meaningful, and distinctive experiences.

Commenting on the initiative, Fuad Mansoor Sharaf, Managing Director of Shopping Malls in the UAE at Majid Al Futtaim Properties, said: “We are delighted to see City Centre Mirdif at the forefront of innovation with this unique robotics pilot program, in collaboration with the Dubai Future Foundation. This is a natural extension of our journey towards smarter, more responsive retail environments that prioritize the user experience. From assisting with navigation to providing memorable experiences, we believe that emerging technologies, when used responsibly, can transform the way visitors interact with our destinations. This is just the beginning for us on this path of innovation.”

This project is part of a broader research collaboration between Dubai Future Labs and Japan's Osaka University on a global initiative to employ advanced robotics, supported by the Japan Science and Technology Agency. The program aims to create a society in harmony with human-like robots by 2050, enabling advanced robotics to overcome physical and spatial limitations.

At the same time, the Dubai Future Foundation and Majid Al Futtaim are working to address legal, ethical, and social aspects from the earliest stages to ensure that technology is integrated in a responsible manner that reflects the needs and values of society .

This partnership represents an important step toward facilitating access to advanced technologies, by integrating robots into public life in a thoughtful, human-centered manner, enhancing their value and community trust .

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