NEWS
Circus begins commercial AI robotics operations in UAE
Circus has started commercial operations in the UAE, marking the company’ s first market outside Europe and the beginning of its expansion of autonomous AI robotics infrastructure for food production across the Gulf.
Operations are beginning at a location in Abu Dhabi, with Dubai set to follow. The company will officially launch its CA-1 autonomous food production system in the region at an event in Abu Dhabi on 6 October 2026.
Circus is launching in partnership with Royal Prestige Food Contracts, a UAE contract catering company that produces more than three million meals annually for clients including the UAE Army, the UAE Royal Palace, UAE ministries, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and the Red Crescent.
According to Circus, its robots will operate using locally sourced supplies through Royal Prestige, while Circus Pods are also expected to be produced locally, establishing an in-region supply chain and autonomous operating model.
Nikolas Bullwinkel, Founder and CEO of Circus, said:“ The UAE is building the infrastructure layer of the AI economy, and robotics food production belongs in it. We strongly believe the UAE will grow to become one of our largest markets in the mid-term as it holds huge growth potential with great customer adoption for new technologies.”
The commercial launch follows Circus receiving regulatory certification under the Emirates Conformity Assessment Scheme of the UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology.
Tareq Masoud, Country Manager, UAE, Snowflake
Snowflake launches startup programme to support UAE AI entrepreneurs
Snowflake has launched its Snowflake for Startups programme in the UAE, providing entrepreneurs with access to its AI Data Cloud to develop and scale enterprise-grade AI applications.
The initiative is designed to provide startups with a secure, production-ready data and AI foundation, alongside access to AI capabilities, marketplace exposure, accelerator support and potential venture investment.
Snowflake said the programme aligns with the‘ We the UAE 2031’ vision and its focus on creating an innovationled economy that supports entrepreneurs and globally competitive businesses.
Tareq Masoud, Country Manager, UAE, Snowflake, said:“ The UAE has embraced AI as a core economic driver, and startups here are building to compete globally from the outset.”
He added:“ Snowflake for Startups is designed to meet that ambition by giving founders access to the same secure, scalable data and AI foundation used by large enterprises.”
Through the programme, startups can build, test and deploy AI applications and agents without having to manage complex underlying infrastructure. They can also use the Cortex REST API to access and switch between different frontier AI models through a unified API layer.
Founders will gain exposure to more than 12,600 potential customers through Snowflake Marketplace, while the Snowflake Startup Accelerator provides credits, engineering support and go-to-market guidance. Snowflake Ventures offers access to potential capital and strategic backing. •
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