Softbank, PIF’s Alat to build humanoid robots in Saudi Arabia

Humanoid robots are set to roll off the production floor in Saudi Arabia in a year’s time, thanks to a $150m deal announced on Tuesday between the Public Investment Fund’s Alat and renowned Japanese technology investor Softbank.

Riyadh headquartered Alat has been created to create what it calls a world class manufacturing electronics hub. The PIF owned company has an investment budget of $100bn and is looking to use renewable energy technologies — ranging from solar to wind and hydrogen — to help power up the manufacturing and creation of 34 product categories, ranging from semiconductors to smart devices and smart appliances.

And in a new joint venture set up between Softbank and Alat, the pair plan to build industrial robots that will perform tasks, with minimal additional programming, for industrial assembly and applications in manufacturing and production. The factory that the JV will create in the Kingdom is dubbed a ‘lighthouse factory’ and will create ‘humanoid’ robots, according to Brian Rogove, the co-chief of corporate development at Alat.

“In particular, we’re excited about the fact that you’ll you’ll actually start seeing robots manufactured in a plant in Saudi Arabia coming off the production line by the end of this calendar year. If you think about it, for us it’s not just about the announcements, it’s about execution and we’re in the execution phase of this ambitious mission we have,” Rogove tells Gulf Business.

In an interview with Gulf Business‘ Situation Today, Rogove explained more about the deal. Take a listen: