MAKKAH: We’ve all been there … you order a meal in a restaurant, and the waiter arrives with a pasta salad instead of a chicken biryani.
There are no such issues at Restaurant Robot in Jazan. As the name suggests, the waiters are not fallible human beings, but robots powered by sophisticated artificial intelligence.
Six robot assistants are operating in the city center restaurant to deliver trays of Asian dishes to patrons. The system was originally set up as a precaution to reduce human contact during the coronavirus pandemic, but it has proved a hit with visitors.
In a system designed by young Saudi engineer Reham Omar, the restaurant interior has been fitted with strategically placed sensors that allow the robots to move about and take food to customers.
“Thanks to the sensors, the robots can sense anything standing near them, allowing them to stop walking or change their routes accordingly,” she told Arab News
“Each robot has had a map of the restaurant interior and the location of each table programmed into their memory. When the robot gets to the targeted table, customers can pick up their food and order the robot to leave.”
Omar said the idea had been developed by drawing on the experiences of other countries, and with support from the Saudi government for the food industry.
“We are proud of our project, as small as it is,” she said. “Customers are loving the robots and are impressed with the idea.
“Cultures are changing, and people are now eager to discover new technologies that can improve their quality of life.”
Chips with everything: Saudi restaurant where waiters are robots
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Chips with everything: Saudi restaurant where waiters are robots
- Room is fitted with strategically placed sensors that allow the machines to move about and take food to customers
Saudi initiative to host ‘dialogue’ between southern Yemeni factions widely welcomed
- Conference in Saudi capital requested by Rashad Al-Alimi, president of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council
- Kingdom urged all factions to participate “to develop a comprehensive vision” that would fulfill the aspirations of the southern people
RIYADH: The Saudi Foreign Ministry’s move to invite factions in South Yemen to hold a dialogue in Riyadh has been widely welcomed.
A statement by the ministry said the conference in the Saudi capital had been requested by Rashad Al-Alimi, president of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, and the Kingdom urged all factions to participate “to develop a comprehensive vision” that would fulfill the aspirations of the southern people.
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit welcomed Al-Alimi’s call to convene a comprehensive conference to discuss just solutions to the southern issue.
He also expressed his appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s swift response to the request and its readiness to host and sponsor the conference with the participation of southern factions.
The situation in southern Yemen, Aboul Gheit said, has “well-known historical dimensions and includes legitimate issues that must be addressed at the negotiating table within a comprehensive Yemeni framework.”
He stressed that attempts to impose a fait accompli did not serve the southern cause but instead caused serious harm by exposing the country to further fragmentation and disintegration.
He reiterated the Arab League’s consistent position, as reflected in its repeated resolutions on the Yemeni crisis, which is based on full commitment to Yemen’s unity and the preservation of its territorial integrity.
Commending the Saudi announcement, Sheikh Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, the Muslim World League’s secretary-general, said that the step “reflected the Kingdom’s steadfast and sincere approach to supporting the Yemeni people in all their diversity.”
It also highlights the Kingdom’s continued efforts to preserve peace and stability in Yemen by addressing the southern issue through inclusive dialogue among all parties, Al-Issa added.
Meanwhile, Qatar has expressed its appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the inclusive conference to explore fair solutions to the southern issue.
In a statement, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the efforts exerted by the legitimate Yemeni government to support the Yemeni dialogue track and address the southern issue.
The ministry underlined the importance of the constructive participation of all southern stakeholders, prioritizing the interests of the Yemeni people at the anticipated conference in Riyadh.
It emphasized adherence to the outcomes of the national dialogue as the consensual framework and comprehensive mechanism for reaching an inclusive political solution that meets the aspirations of the Yemeni people in all their segments and preserves Yemen’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
The ministry warned that unilateral declarations and measures taken without consultation and consensus among Yemeni parties, and without engaging in serious and responsible dialogue, could lead to a descent into chaos, harming the interests of the Yemeni people and undermining prospects for reaching a sustainable political settlement.
The ministry reaffirmed Qatar’s full support for all regional and international efforts aimed at advancing the political process, contributing to ending the Yemeni crisis through dialogue and peaceful means.
