Dubai will host some of the world’s most advanced humanoid robots, autonomous machines and artificial intelligence technologies as global robotics companies converge for GITEX World RobotiX 2026, highlighting the growing role of physical AI in transforming industries and everyday life.
The new showcase, part of GITEX GLOBAL, will bring together robotics pioneers and developers of embodied artificial intelligence from December 8 to 11 at the Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City Dubai. The event will demonstrate how machines capable of perceiving, reasoning and acting in the physical world are increasingly being deployed in manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, hospitality and smart infrastructure.
GITEX GLOBAL 2026 will open with the GITEX Summit on December 7 at Dubai World Trade Centre before the four-day exhibition begins at Expo City Dubai.
The event comes amid rapid growth in the global robotics industry. More than 22,000 humanoid robots were shipped worldwide in the first half of 2026, representing a 300 per cent year-on-year increase, according to Counterpoint Research. Global shipments are projected to exceed 50,000 units by the end of the year.
Dubai is also positioning itself as a regional robotics hub through its Robotics and Automation Programme, which targets the deployment of 200,000 robots over 10 years to 2032.
Among the major participants will be Unitree, which holds a reported 31 per cent share of the global humanoid robot market. Other companies include UBTECH, whose humanoids are deployed in automotive factories and being tested by Airbus; AiMOGA, Chery Auto’s embodied AI robotics brand; quadruped robot developer DEEP Robotics; and UAE-based Micropolis Robotics, which supplies autonomous patrol robots to Dubai Police.
Robots move from demonstrations to practical applications
The exhibition will focus on how robotics technology is moving beyond experimental demonstrations towards practical commercial applications.
UAE-based Mangobot will present autonomous general-purpose robots, security patrol machines, multilingual receptionists and robotic performances. Visitors will also have an opportunity to experience wearable exoskeleton technology.
“It’s less ‘come look at robots’ and more ‘come see what working alongside robots actually feels like’,” said Mazen El-Kurdi, Mangobot’s chief technology officer.
Chinese robotics innovator Lumos Robotics will make its Middle East debut with MOS 2, a wheeled artificial intelligence-powered robot designed for industrial applications. Equipped with two arms, the machine can handle payloads of up to 50kg and operate for more than eight hours.
The company says its first-generation MOS robots have completed more than 1,000 hours of continuous operation at Mitsubishi Electric’s Changshu factory, performing material handling, quality inspection and screwdriving tasks.
Lumos will also demonstrate NIX S3, a robot designed for dynamic movements and entertainment performances, featuring 21 degrees of freedom and high-torque joints.
“Robots need to do more than move. They need to perform useful tasks reliably in real environments,” said Cecile Wei, the company’s public relations director.
Lootah Robotics will showcase humanoid, quadruped, cleaning, service and telepresence robots from manufacturers including Unitree, AGIBOT, Pudu Robotics, UBTECH and EngineAI.
Its general manager, Hazem Ghazal, said the company was building an integrated robotics ecosystem that allows organisations to deploy different machines for specific operational requirements while maintaining centralised monitoring and control.
Humanoid robots target homes, services and education
The next phase of embodied AI is expected to expand human-robot interaction in consumer services, education, entertainment and domestic environments.
Chinese company Light Origins will make the first public appearance of its bunny-shaped robot, demonstrating household applications and interactive capabilities.
“We believe our bunny-shaped robot is ready to enter consumers’ homes,” said Tingxiang Fan, the company’s co-founder and chief technology officer.
Raydiculous, an innovator from the Chengdu Humanoid Robot Innovation Centre, will make its Middle East debut with two products: the TP01 humanoid robot and DINOBOT, described by the company as the world’s first intelligent bipedal walking bionic dinosaur.
The TP01 is designed for commercial interaction and public services, with English and Arabic communication capabilities, while DINOBOT will demonstrate lifelike movements and interactive functions.
Meanwhile, UAE-based Besomi will introduce six humanoid and mobile robots under its Besomi Rangers showcase, alongside a Robotics and AI laboratory where visitors can explore robot engineering, programming and training.
The demonstration will involve Unitree, Seeed Studio, Arduino and Qualcomm, with practical engineering sessions using the Arduino VENTUNO platform.
Besomi chief executive Mohammad Hani said the initiative aims to equip young engineers with practical skills to develop robotics and artificial intelligence applications.
Computing power drives the next robotics revolution
Beyond physical machines, the exhibition will highlight the computing infrastructure and software needed to power autonomous systems.
Chinese technology company JWIPC will introduce robotic controllers built on NVIDIA’s Thor module, which it says delivers up to 2,070 TFLOPS of FP4 computing performance.
The controllers are designed for humanoid robots, robotic arms and autonomous mobile machines, enabling local AI processing, sensor integration and real-time decision-making.
Physical AI software developer Songying Technology will demonstrate ORCA OS and ORCA Lab, platforms integrating simulation, synthetic data generation, AI training, validation and deployment.
Taiwanese embedded computing specialist Vecow will also unveil rugged Edge AI and robotics platforms powered by NVIDIA, Intel, AMD, Qualcomm and NXP technologies, while introducing its dedicated UAE team.
The 46th edition of GITEX GLOBAL is expected to attract more than 6,000 enterprise and startup exhibitors, alongside government officials, investors, business executives and technology buyers from 180 countries.
Together with Expand North Star, the startup and investor event, the exhibition will reinforce Dubai’s position as an international technology hub while providing a platform for businesses to explore commercial applications of robotics and embodied AI.
