Dubai is preparing to host some of the world’s most advanced robotics technologies as GITEX World RobotiX 2026 brings together global robotics pioneers and developers of embodied artificial intelligence (AI) for a major showcase of next-generation machines and automation.
The new launch event, which forms part of GITEX GLOBAL, will run from December 8 to 11 at the Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City Dubai, featuring interactive humanoids, autonomous industrial machines, multilingual robot assistants and wearable exoskeletons.
The showcase will demonstrate how machines capable of perceiving, reasoning and acting in the physical world are reshaping sectors such as manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, hospitality and smart infrastructure.
GITEX GLOBAL 2026 will officially kick off with the GITEX Summit on December 7 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, ahead of the exhibition at Expo City Dubai.
The event comes amid a sharp rise in global demand for humanoid robots. More than 22,000 units were shipped worldwide in the first half of 2026, representing a 300 percent year-on-year increase, according to Counterpoint Research. Shipments are expected to exceed 50,000 units by the end of the year.
Dubai is also accelerating its robotics ambitions through its Robotics and Automation Program, which targets the deployment of 200,000 robots over 10 years to 2032.
Among the major participants this year is Unitree, one of the world’s largest humanoid robot manufacturers, with a 31 percent global market share.
Other leading exhibitors include UBTECH, whose humanoid robots are deployed in car factories and being tested by Airbus; AiMOGA, Chery Auto’s embodied AI robotics brand; DEEP Robotics, a global leader in quadruped robots; and UAE-based Micropolis Robotics, which provides autonomous patrol robots for Dubai Police.
Robots move from demonstrations to real-world applications
Beyond showcasing futuristic machines, GITEX World RobotiX will highlight how robotics is increasingly being integrated into everyday business operations.
UAE-based Mangobot, a robotics solutions provider specialising in the deployment and integration of intelligent machines, will present a robotic workforce featuring autonomous general-purpose robots, patrol robots, multilingual receptionists and live robotic performances.
Visitors will also have the opportunity to experience wearable exoskeleton technology firsthand.
“It’s less ‘come look at robots’ and more ‘come see what working alongside robots actually feels like,’” said Mazen El-Kurdi, CTO of Mangobot.
Making its Middle East debut, MOS 2, developed by Chinese embodied intelligence innovator Lumos Robotics, is a wheeled ‘AI Worker’ equipped with dual arms. It can handle payloads of up to 50 kg and operate for more than eight hours.
According to Lumos Robotics, its first-generation MOS robots completed over 1,000 hours of continuous, failure-free operation at Mitsubishi Electric’s Changshu factory, performing material handling, quality inspection and screwdriving tasks.
The company will also showcase NIX S3, which will deliver a live dance performance demonstrating its 21 degrees of freedom, high-torque joints, agility and dynamic motion capabilities.
Cecile Wei, PR Director at Lumos Robotics, said: “Our demonstrations are designed to show the philosophy behind our products: robots need to do more than move. They need to perform useful tasks reliably in real environments.”
UAE-based Lootah Robotics, a robotics solutions and systems integration company, will also exhibit a range of humanoid, quadruped, service, cleaning and telepresence robots from manufacturers including Unitree, AGIBOT, Pudu Robotics, UBTECH and EngineAI.
“We are not simply supplying individual robots; we are building an integrated robotics ecosystem,” said Hazem Ghazal, General Manager of Lootah Robotics.
“Our stand will showcase how organisations can select different robots for different requirements while maintaining centralised visibility and control.”
Embodied AI advances human-robot interaction
Advances in embodied AI, which involves integrating AI models into physical bodies or hardware systems, are creating new opportunities for robots to interact more naturally with people.
The technology is opening up possibilities across consumer services, education, entertainment and domestic environments.
China’s Light Origins, a developer of humanoid robots and intelligent robotic systems, will make the first public appearance of its ‘bunny-shaped’ robot, featuring live demonstrations of household scenarios and opportunities for visitors to interact with the machine.
“We believe our bunny-shaped robot is ready to enter consumers’ homes,” said Tingxiang Fan, Co-founder and CTO of Light Origins.
Meanwhile, Raydiculous, a bionic robotics innovator from the Chengdu Humanoid Robot Innovation Centre, will make its Middle East debut with two innovations.
Its TP01 humanoid, designed for commercial interaction and public services, can communicate in English and Arabic and perform synchronised movements.
The company will also present DINOBOT, which it describes as the world’s first intelligent bipedal walking bionic dinosaur. The machine will demonstrate realistic movement and interactive capabilities.
Sandy Liu, Overseas Sales Manager at Chengdu Humanoid Robot Innovation Centre, said: “With its integrated capabilities of walking, interaction, performance, and education, our solutions turn Physical AI into a visible and usable business tool.”
Building the next generation of robotics talent
The exhibition will also place emphasis on developing future robotics and engineering talent.
UAE-based technology and robotics education company Besomi will introduce six humanoid and mobile robots known as the ‘Besomi Rangers’.
Unitree, Seeed Studio, Arduino and Qualcomm will join Besomi at the showcase, which will feature the latest humanoid robot from Unitree, a global leader in humanoid robotics.
A live Robotics & AI Lab will allow visitors to explore how robots are engineered, programmed and trained. It will also offer hands-on engineering training using the latest Arduino VENTUNO platform, developed in collaboration with Qualcomm.
“We want young engineers and innovators to ask, ‘How does this work?’ and then go build the next generation of robotics technologies right here in the UAE. Showcasing the latest Unitree humanoid robot gives visitors a look at the forefront of robotics. Our hands-on training with Arduino and Qualcomm gives engineers practical experience to turn their own ideas into working robotics and AI applications. We are also pleased to welcome Seeed Studio to our stand as part of this focus on building engineering capabilities,” said Mohammad Hani, CEO of Besomi Robotics & AI.
The computing power behind intelligent machines
While humanoid robots and autonomous machines are expected to attract significant attention, the exhibition will also showcase the computing infrastructure and software powering the next generation of robotics.
Chinese developer of AI computing hardware and industrial computing solutions, JWIPC, will launch robotic controllers built on NVIDIA’s Thor module, which the company says delivers up to 2,070 TFLOPS of FP4 computing performance.
Designed for humanoids, robotic arms and autonomous mobile robots, the controllers support AI processing and real-time decision-making.
“The NVIDIA Thor module provides a high-compute edge brain for embodied intelligence, running multi-modal models locally to integrate sensor fusion, task planning, and millisecond motion control,” said Nick Zhang, Regional Sales Manager at JWIPC.
Physical AI software developer Songying Technology will demonstrate ORCA OS and ORCA Lab, which integrate simulation, synthetic data generation, AI training, validation and deployment into a connected robotics development environment.
Taiwan-based embedded computing specialist Vecow will unveil advanced, rugged Edge AI and robotics platforms powered by NVIDIA, Intel, AMD, Qualcomm and NXP. The company will also officially introduce its dedicated UAE team to accelerate mission-critical deployments across the region.
GITEX GLOBAL 2026 prepares for major international gathering
The 46th edition of GITEX GLOBAL, organised by inD, will open with the GITEX Summit at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) on December 7.
The four-day GITEX GLOBAL Expo will subsequently begin at the Dubai Exhibition Centre, alongside Expand North Star, its startup and investor event.
The dual-blockbuster showcase is expected to bring together more than 6,000 enterprise and startup exhibitors, alongside tens of thousands of government leaders, C-suite executives, investors and buyers from 180 countries.
The gathering is expected to reinforce Dubai’s position as a major hub for global technology collaboration, innovation and investment, with GITEX World RobotiX placing the growing role of robotics and Physical AI firmly at the centre of the conversation.