HWA robotics drives MENA’s intralogistics

HWA robotics drives MENA’s intralogistics innovation with smart automation

Over the past few years, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has witnessed a dramatic shift in logistics and warehousing dynamics. With the e-Commerce boom, retail modernisation, rapid expansion in FMCG, and transformation of aviation and airport services, intralogistics has taken centre stage in industrial growth strategies.
Amid this regional acceleration, HWArobotics, a global leader in shuttle ASRS (Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems), has strategically expanded into the MENA market to help integrators and customers achieve operational excellence and future-ready automation.

Entering the MENA region: Timing the transformation

HWArobotics made its formal entry into the MENA region in March 2025, backed by a decade-long legacy of innovation and global success. With more than 15,000 shuttle systems sold globally by 2025, our transition into this fast-growing region was timely and strategic. As a technology-driven OEM, our objective was clear: to support regional systems integrators with high-performance, scalable, and proven automation hardware and software.

Dubai was chosen as the regional hub, aligning with the UAE’s National Industrial Strategy 2031 and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. These national initiatives are pushing sectors like logistics, eCommerce, cold storage, and aviation toward full digitalization and robotics-led optimization.

Market Focus: Sector-specific growth and innovation

HWArobotics is actively supporting projects across six core sectors in MENA:

1. eCommerce: With eCommerce sales projected to hit $50 billion in MENA by 2025, our shuttle systems are enabling fast, accurate, and scalable order fulfillment. Tote shuttle systems like the SLS300 and SLS400 Series offer high-speed, high-density storage with flexibility for variable tote sizes, crucial for SKU-heavy operations.
2. Retail: In both modern supermarkets and omnichannel fulfillment centers, our goods-to-person picking systems are solving last-mile and omnichannel complexity. The SLS500 Series is especially impactful in buffering and sorting roles, where high throughput and smooth order flow are critical.
3. FMCG: Temperature-sensitive goods require fast, reliable handling. Our four-directional pallet shuttle, the FPSS1500 Series, meets these demands with lithium-powered, high-speed operations for pallet-level automation.
4. Frozen andcold storage: With the rise of fresh food delivery and frozen food consumption, our systems are deployed in controlled environments, leveraging kinetic energy recovery and 5G/Wi-Fi/WAP communications for smart energy management and low-carbon impact.
5. Aviation andairports: Airports today are not just transit hubs—they are logistics centers and retail zones. Our tote and pallet ASRS solutions are supporting retail distribution within airports and even helping revolutionize baggage handling with modular automation platforms.
6. 3PLs and Mega hubs: MENA’s emergence as a global logistics hub—fueled by investments in ports, dry ports, and free zones—is creating demand for ultra-scalable automation. Our SLS600 Series, a 3D four-directional shuttle, is designed for exactly this environment, offering dense, multi-directional storage for low-throughput, high-diversity operations.

Empowering integrators: The OEM partner model

Unlike vertically integrated players, HWArobotics operates on an OEM-first model. This means we equip regional and global system integrators with advanced robotics modules and software to help them deliver full intralogistics solutions. Our offerings include:

• Tote Shuttle Systems: High-speed tote handlers (SLS300), variable-size capability (SLS400), and sorting/buffering modules (SLS500).
• Pallet Shuttle Systems: The FPSS1500 Series for four-directional pallet automation.
• Software Suite: Including WMS, WCS, and Order Processing Systems (OPS/WES).
• Goods-to-Person Systems: Fully integrated ASRS + picking + conveyor + OPS solutions.

This approach ensures flexibility and localisation, while maintaining best-in-class global technology standards.

Driving the MENA intralogistics boom to 2030

The intralogistics sector in the MENA region is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 13–15% through 2030, outpacing global averages. This is fueled by several megatrends:

• Urban population growth and smart city initiatives.
• GCC-wide investments in national logistics strategies (e.g. Saudi Arabia’s $40B logistics masterplan).
• Digitalisation mandates, including AI, IoT, and data-driven supply chains.
• Labour cost inflation, driving the need for automation.
• Sustainability goals, requiring more energy-efficient operations.

By 2030, over 40% of warehouse operations in the region are expected to involve some form of automation—shuttles, robotics, or ASRS—versus under 10% in 2020. HWArobotics is at the forefront of this transition, offering modular solutions that scale with customer needs and budget.

Umer Saleem, Vice President Business Development & Sales
MENA Region, HWArobotics

Engineering for the region: Built to perform

All HWArobotics systems are designed with durability, precision, and flexibility in mind:

• Up to 12 million cycles of service life.
• ±1mm positioning accuracy, thanks to high-performance servo motors and imported rails.
• Communications-ready with 5G, Wi-Fi, and WAP.
• Use of lithium batteries and supercapacitors for sustainable energy management.
• Support for multi-temperature environments, including frozen zones.
• Independent controller R&D, ensuring security and performance stability.

Additionally, our shuttle lifts and goods lifts support vertical scalability—critical in land-constrained warehouses and mega facilities.

Building trust and seeing results

Since its launch in the MENA region, the company has achieved recognition and partnerships with key industry players. At regional exhibitions such as IntralogisteX MEA and MIITE UAE, it has showcased full stack capabilities and won accolades for innovation and performance.

The company is also proud to support small and large-scale integrators alike acting as the hardware backbone behind some of the most ambitious automation projects now underway in Riyadh, Dubai, Jeddah, and Cairo.

The future is automated, local, and modular

As MENA races toward a fully digitised supply chain ecosystem, intralogistics automation is no longer optional—it is a competitive imperative. HWArobotics is proud to be part of this journey, not as a one-size-fits-all provider, but as a modular enabler, empowering local integrators, national strategies, and end-user excellence.

We believe that the combination of smart robotics, local customization, and OEM empowerment will define the future of warehousing and logistics in the region.

With a track record of more than 15,000 shuttle robots shipped globally, and a growing team and footprint across MENA, HWArobotics is here to accelerate the next leap in automated intralogistics.

HWArobotics recently won ‘Best Newcomer in Technology’ at the Transport, Logistics Middle East, TLME Achievement Awards 2025.