The pilot is focused primarily on testing a fully autonomous drone to deliver parcels safely and efficiently across various terrains, distances, and weather conditions in Muscat Oman
Aramex, has completed the pilot testing of an AI-enabled UVL Robotic drone solution in Oman. The project is part of its Future Delivery program aimed at leveraging the next generation of last-mile delivery solutions, including drones and autonomous vehicles, to boost delivery efficiencies, improve customer satisfaction, and generate cost savings in last-mile delivery.
The usage of drones is in line with Aramex’s commitment to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) as it yields environmental benefits, including a reduction in carbon emissions and traffic congestion.
According to reports, this test is the first multi-phase programme as Aramex embarks on its vision to fully transition its fleet to emission-free electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The pilot focused primarily on testing a fully autonomous drone to deliver parcels safely and efficiently across various terrains, distances, and weather conditions in Muscat Oman.
Alaa Saoudi, Chief Operating Officer, Express at Aramex, said, “Rolling out the Future Delivery Program demonstrates Aramex’s market leadership in last-mile solutions in the region. We believe the next generation of last-mile solutions, including drones and autonomous vehicles, will be a game-changer as it ensures efficient delivery while being eco-friendly. Through the successful drone delivery testing with UVL Robotics, we have proven that these automated modes of delivery will enable us to further enhance the speed, accessibility, and reliability of package deliveries, especially to remote areas with hard-to-reach terrain.”
Angad Singh, Global Director, Innovation of Aramex, commented, “The autonomous drone technology provided by UVL Robotics could potentially cut transit times by half in complex routes, which means we can now add more value for our customers and consignees as we can accelerate the delivery of packages across different sectors including e-commerce, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals amongst others. We look forward to scaling up this product for our customers and deploying it across all markets where we operate.”
Moosa Al Balushi, Regional Director for UVL in the MENA Region, added, “Drones produce 26 times more CO2 emissions than cars, which positively impacts the region’s ecology. Moreover, the use of drones can significantly reduce operating costs and almost triple the time it takes to deliver a package to hard-to-reach locations. We are looking forward to scaling up our collaboration with Aramex as a recognised industry leader – increasing the number of routes and the share of drone delivery in the total number of shipments.”
Aramex plans to expand its drone delivery testing across the Middle East region.
