US robotics firm, Gecko Robotics, which develops robots capable of inspecting oil and gas and power infrastructure, has set up a new international headquarters in the UAE under the Ministry of Economy’s landmark NextGenFDI program.
Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, who oversees the NextGenFDI program, said Gecko’s investment supports the UAE’s mission to develop a world class, advanced technology ecosystem. “Once again, we are seeing world-leading technology make its home in the UAE. Our industrial base is seeking to integrate the tools of the Fourth Industrial revolution to improve efficiencies and boost productivity, and Gecko Robotics will be a key partner on that journey,” he said.
Jake Loosararian, CEO and Co-Founder of Gecko Robotics, added, “We are big believers in the UAE and its transformation into a globally competitive economic and innovation hub. Here, we can take advantage of the UAE’s Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements to export to the rest of the world from here, and we can support energy businesses in the region to realize efficiencies that will help productivity and create the drive to realize Net Zero goals.
“As our business continues to expand across Europe and the Middle East, we see the UAE market as a critical hub to access both the manufacturing and engineering talent we need to continue to accelerate our growth. Our first employees are already settling in the UAE and we have ambitious plans to grow our footprint.”
Gecko will establish a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD) that will create around 300 jobs over the next few years.
Gecko’s wall-climbing robots use specially designed sensor payloads to detect otherwise invisible damage, allowing for precision repairs and predictive maintenance.
The NextGenFDI initiative was launched by the Ministry of Economy in July, 2022, to attract digitally enabled businesses from all over the world with a package of market entry fundamentals required to launch and scale from within the UAE.
