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ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia has deployed artificial intelligence (AI) robots inside the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet&#39;s Mosque in Madinah, the two holiest sites in Islam, to guide pilgrims, answer religious questions, and autonomously clean spaces that receive millions of visitors each year, according to the Digital Government Authority&#39;s 2026 report on emerging technology adoption by government agencies. The robots operate across courtyards, corridors, and prayer halls where crowd densities routinely exceed what human staff alone can manage. The deployments span three distinct functions: multilingual religious guidance, precision maintenance of sacred structures, and large-scale sterilization, as reported by the Saudi Press Agency. The guidance unit, called the Manarah Robot, was launched by Sheikh Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, the head of religious affairs at both mosques. According to the Saudi Press Agency, it draws on a vetted database of Islamic jurisprudence to field pilgrim inquiries in eleven languages, including Urdu, Hausa, Bengali, and Malay. For questions outside its database, the robot connects the user via live video call to a human scholar rather than generating an answer independently, per the same report. Five robot vacuums are assigned exclusively to the roof of the Holy Kaaba. Each unit generates 2,000 Pascal of suction and completes the full cleaning cycle within 20 minutes, according to technical specifications released by the Saudi Press Agency. Mohammed bin Musleh Al-Jabiri, the Presidency&#39;s undersecretary for field affairs, said the robots are deployed specifically to protect the marble surface from abrasion. A separate fleet of Biocare robots sterilizes floors and open spaces across both sites using dry steam, operating for up to eight hours without human intervention and covering roughly 1,000 square meters per hour, as reported by the Saudi Press Agency. Dry steam was selected over chemical disinfectants because pilgrims walk &ldquo;barefoot on marble surfaces&rdquo; and &ldquo;gather in close proximity.&rdquo; A geofencing-based asset tracking system monitors equipment locations in real time across both mosques, issuing automatic alerts when items exit designated zones. The Digital Government Authority&#39;s 2026 emerging technology report cited the system among the most effective smart-government implementations in the country. The deployments fall under Saudi Arabia&#39;s Vision 2030 program, which has directed government agencies to integrate AI across public services. The two mosques together receive millions of pilgrims annually from over 180 countries, as per the General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet&#39;s Mosque.

Saudi Arabia deploys AI robots at the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah to guide pilgrims, answer questions and clean the holy sites. (Saudi Press Agency)

Artificial Intelligence

Robots operate across courtyards, corridors and prayer halls, guiding pilgrims, answering questions in multiple languages, cleaning spaces, and linking users to human scholars when needed.

Saudi Arabia deploys AI robots to work at Islam's two holiest mosques 

Robin, an artificial intelligence (AI) robot mimicking a 7-year-old girl, provides emotional support to hospitalised children and nursing home residents, helping address loneliness and healthcare staff shortages.&nbsp;Developed by Expper Technologies, Robin actively engages with patients&mdash;remembering names, playing games, and mirroring emotions. Operating partly autonomously, it supports overworked medical staff while gradually advancing toward greater independence and more medical functions. &nbsp;&nbsp;Shortly after her 6-year-old son Luca was diagnosed with leukemia, Meagan Brazil-Sheehan encountered Robin the Robot in UMass Memorial Children&rsquo;s Medical Center. The robot greeted Luca warmly with a high-pitched voice programmed to sound like a 7-year-old girl. It remembered having met him days earlier, a moment that brought joy to the family.&nbsp;Robin is a 4-foot-tall therapeutic robot powered by artificial intelligence, designed to act like a young girl and offer emotional support to patients in hospitals and nursing homes. It also helps relieve pressures on staff amid widespread shortages. Since its US introduction five years ago, Robin has been deployed in 30 healthcare facilities across California, Massachusetts, New York, and Indiana.&nbsp;Karen Khachikyan, CEO of Expper Technologies, explained that nurses face heavy workloads and limited ability to provide emotional connection to patients. Robin steps in to fill this engagement gap. The robot functions with about 30% autonomy; the rest is controlled remotely by operators under clinical supervision. Each patient interaction provides data, supporting progress towards greater independence, all while complying with HIPAA privacy rules.&nbsp;At HealthBridge Children&rsquo;s Hospital in Orange County, California, staff direct Robin&rsquo;s visits, scheduling time with each patient. The robot engages patients by playing favourite songs, such as &ldquo;No Fear&rdquo; by DeJ Loaf, playing tic-tac-toe, and wearing silly glasses to amuse young children. Speech language pathologist Samantha da Silva noted that patients &lsquo;light up&rsquo; when Robin enters, as it remembers names and preferences, spreading joy throughout the hospital.&nbsp;Robin mirrors patient emotions, laughing when patients laugh and showing empathy during difficult conversations. In nursing homes, it plays memory games with dementia patients, leads breathing exercises, and provides companionship akin to a grandchild&rsquo;s presence. Khachikyan recounted an incident where Robin soothed a woman having a panic attack by playing her favourite music and animal videos until she calmed.&nbsp;With the Association of American Medical Colleges forecasting a shortage of up to 86,000 physicians in the next decade, Expper Technologies aims to extend Robin&rsquo;s capabilities. Future versions may monitor vital signs, report health data to medical teams, and assist elderly patients with tasks such as dressing and bathroom use. Khachikyan emphasized that Robin is intended to supplement, not replace, healthcare workers.&nbsp;At UMass Memorial Children&rsquo;s, Robin also helps educate children about medical procedures. Child life specialist Micaela Cotas described how Robin helped a young patient face an IV by showing an animated cartoon of the process, making the robot a relatable peer.&nbsp;Robin was created during Khachikyan&rsquo;s PhD, inspired by his own experience of loneliness growing up in a single-parent household in Armenia. After initial trials across industries, the team realized Robin could benefit pediatric patients experiencing stress and isolation. Following success in Armenia, a 2020 pilot launched at UCLA Mattel Children&rsquo;s Hospital.&nbsp;The robot&rsquo;s personality evolves based on user feedback. For example, children found it amusing when Robin declared its favourite animal was a chicken, a trait that replaced earlier choices like dog or cat. &ldquo;Robin was designed by users,&rdquo; Khachikyan said, highlighting the interactive development process.

 Robin the Robot, developed by Expper Technologies, visits patients' rooms at the HealthBridge Orange Specialty Pediatric Hospital in Orange, California, US. (AP)

Robin is a 4-foot AI robot that supports patients and helps ease staff shortages in 30 US healthcare facilities.

Articles tagged with "AI robot"

Saudi Arabia deploys AI robots to work at Islam's two holiest mosques

Robot companion eases fear, loneliness in hospitals