Robotics and software company Zorabots have started talks to create joint venture with Saudi tech company QSS. The news comes after the two companies jointly presented what is believed to be Saudia Arabia’s first domestically created humanoid robot, called “Sara” (main picture and below).
Sara is being presented at the renowned tech event LEAP, being held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the sophisticated humanoid has been declared by relevant authorities as a “Saudi tech jewel”.
The robot was developed by tech company QSS with the support of Zorabots. Due to the “overwhelming success” of Sara, Zorabots and QSS signed an agreement for further cooperation. Extensive talks were started for the establishment of a Belgian-Saudi joint venture.
In a joint statement, Zorabot’s co-CEOs Tommy Deblieck and Fabrice Goffin says: “QSS works as a state-owned company with clients such as SDAIA and NEOM, being able to cooperate in several high-tech projects with QSS and other partners is a giant step for our company. We are very proud that we can assist in realizing the Saudi dream for our own cutting-edge tech.”
In recent years, Zorabots has developed innovative software and has now shared their know-how with QSS. This collaboration is a game-changer for the development of innovative high-tech projects.
Goffin says: “Due to the enormous success of humanoid robot ‘Sara’ at LEAP we were able to sign a contract with QSS for further cooperation. QSS works for projects such as NEOM, the planned futuristic smart-city in Saudi Arabia, so this contract is the next big step for us as a Flemish company.
“A step we are particularly proud of. We have started intensive talks about a joint venture so that we can work together on several projects and levels.”
Zorabots will also remain active in the further development of “Sara”.
Tommy Deblieck says: “This QSS-project is not finished: in the next phase ‘Sara’ will be linked to IOT making her capable of linking and controlling millions of smart devices from more than 2,000 global brands. In addition, later this year QSS with our support will develop a Saudi virtual world where ‘Sara’ plays a central role.
“With this project QSS and Zorabots are taking the next step in the development of high-tech projects. The full potential of the software operating on Sare is enormous and is a ‘no-code’ system: with no technical knowledge required everybody can operate and deploy the software.”
Due to the great success of Sara as a “Saudi tech jewel” and the enthusiastic reception at LEAP, the future looks particularly promising for Zorabots and QSS as well as for new high-tech projects, say the companies. The joint venture to be set up between Zorabots, QSS and other partners will only strengthen this.
Deblieck and Goffin add: “We are very happy with this recognition abroad and in the tech world and hope that we can even further enlarge our scope worldwide and in Flanders.
“Zorabots is a Flemish story working wherever high tech projects are being developed, this Flemisch-Saudi joint venture will enlarge our scope and create new possibilities.”
