Indoor Delivery Robots in the UAE: Engineering, Business, and Regulatory Challenges for Startups

Abstract

This thesis explores the challenges faced by startups working on indoor delivery robots, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It reflects on the key obstacles across three areas: engineering, business, and regulatory. From an engineering perspective, the study highlights issues such as vertical navigation, elevator integration, and hardware limitations. On the business side, it explores challenges including limited funding, team building, scalability, and public acceptance. Regulatory challenges include unclear approval processes, inconsistent licensing rules, and the absence of detailed robotics standards.
The thesis draws on case studies from both the UAE and countries around the world such as China, South Korea, and the United States to reflect on how successful ecosystems manage similar issues. It also explores the UAE’s national strategies, such as Vision 2021 and Centennial 2071, and the roles played by incubators, accelerators, free zones, and mainland setups in supporting robotics innovation.
For challenge, the thesis outlines proposed solutions found in the literature and presents them in dedicated tables. Additional comparison tables show the differences between business setup models in the UAE. The study concludes with a visual flowchart and framework recommendations aimed at helping both entrepreneurs and decision-makers strengthen the country’s robotics startup landscape.

Date of Award	Jul 2025
Original language	American English
Supervisor	Andrei Sleptchenko (Supervisor)