ROSHN Business front pilots autonomous food delivery

TGA partners with ROSHN and Jahez for robot food delivery pilot

Jahez robot delivery drone (Image credit: Jahez / ROSHN)

#SaudiArabia #lastmiledelivery - Saudi Arabia’s Transport General Authority (TGA) has launched a pilot programme for autonomous food delivery services at ROSHN Business Front, a new district in Riyadh. The project is part of a strategic partnership between online food delivery platform Jahez International Company and Public Investment Fund-owned real estate developer ROSHN Group. The pilot service deploys five autonomous robots developed by ROSHN's emerging tech team as part of its innovation programme ROSHNEXT. The closed-environment pilot serves restaurants and office buildings within the district during working hours, aiming to provide faster and more efficient food delivery experiences for employees.

SO WHAT? - The new autonomous food delivery pilot is the highest profile robot delivery service to be announced in the Kingdom, serving the prestigious ROSHN Business Front development. The announcement comes a week after the commencement of Saudi Arabia’s biggest autonomous vehicles trial to-date, with Uber and WeRide connecting 13 designated pick-up stations across Riyadh. The two transport trials begin to position the city as a hub for future mobility, alongside regional competitors Abu Dhabi and Dubai, which are also running AV trials.

Here are the key points about the Jahez food delivery pilot:

• Saudi Arabia’s Transport General Authority (TGA) has launched a pilot for autonomous food delivery services at ROSHN Business Front in Riyadh, serving tenants and their employees during regular working hours.

• The project is part of a strategic partnership between online food delivery platform Jahez International Company and Public Investment Fund-owned real estate developer ROSHN Group.

• Vice Minister of Transport and Logistic Services and Transport General Authority (TGA) acting President Dr. Rumaih bin Mohammed Al-Rumaih officially launched the new pilot at ROSH Business Front.

• The TGA endorses the initiative as a step toward establishing advanced transport systems supporting smart cities, quality of life enhancement, and sustainability in line with Saudi Vision 2030 strategy goals.

• ROSHN’s Emerging Technologies team developed the five autonomous robots in collaboration with Jahez through the ROSHNEXT innovation programme, building on Kiwibot (now Robot.com) delivery robot models.

• The new pilot project operates within a closed environment comprising multiple restaurants and office buildings at ROSHN Business Front.

• The initiative aims to provide innovative and safe delivery solutions for the community using autonomous robotic rovers, enhancing service efficiency whilst offering modern technology experiences.

• Jahez International Company operates Saudi Arabia's online food delivery platform since 2016, recognised for ease of ordering, delivery speed within 30 minutes, flexible payment options, and comprehensive customer service support

• ROSHN Group serves as Saudi Arabia's leading multi-asset class real estate developer, focused on transforming urban landscapes through human-centric, integrated developments that enhance connectivity and quality of life.

ZOOM OUT - The ROSHN Business Front pilot builds on Jahez's previous innovation projects. The food delivery platform announced its first autonomous delivery trials announced during LEAP24, which deployed 10 Kiwibot (now Robot.com) delivery robots under the TGA’s Regulatory Sandbox initiative. Created in 2023, the Sandbox framework accommodates five business models including micro-mobility, app-based rentals, on-demand buses, parcel lockers, and autonomous vehicles, providing flexible testing environments for new transport modes. The new robots for the ROSH Business Front pilot are developed on Kiwibot’s GPS-enabled 7km/h delivery robots.

[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]

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• QuikBot to roll out delivery robots in Dubai Silicon Oasis (Middle East AI News)

• KAUST's trials autonomous delivery (Middle East AI News)