Silicon Central becomes Keeta’s Dubai drone delivery hub

Silicon Central Mall has become the first operating hub for Keeta Drone’s food delivery service in Dubai, linking participating restaurants with customers around Dubai Silicon Oasis through approved autonomous flights.

The service is operating after clearance from the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, with customers able to place eligible food and beverage orders through the Keeta app. Drones depart from Silicon Central Mall and carry orders to designated collection points within Dubai Silicon Oasis, while selected neighbourhoods can use a hybrid arrangement in which riders complete the final leg to customers’ homes.

Orders can currently be collected from dedicated lockers at Rochester Institute of Technology Dubai and at the Emirates Building near Foodings Cafe. Keeta has said the service is available only in eligible zones rather than across Dubai, with coverage determined through the app.

Silicon Central Mall, developed and managed by Line Investments & Property, is serving as the principal take-off point for the latest phase of Keeta’s Dubai operations. The arrangement brings retailers and food outlets at the mall into an existing autonomous delivery network and gives nearby customers access to drone transport without requiring a separate ordering platform.

The participating food and beverage range includes coffee, speciality drinks, shawarma, desserts, Italian dishes and Indian cuisine, drawing from local, regional and international operators. Keeta has not published a full citywide coverage map, operating hours or a standard delivery-price schedule for the drone service.

Junwei Yang, general manager of Keeta Drone, has described Dubai as a priority market for the company’s international expansion. Keeta says integrating autonomous delivery into its main app is intended to make drone transport part of ordinary food ordering rather than a standalone demonstration.

Navaneeth Sudhakaran, general manager for Dubai and the Northern Emirates at Line Investments & Property, said the mall’s role in the service was part of its efforts to introduce new technology into the customer experience. He said the partnership would allow users in surrounding communities to access a faster delivery option while exposing mall visitors to emerging logistics technology.

The current operation builds on Dubai’s established framework for commercial drone delivery. Dubai Silicon Oasis hosted pilot flights before the emirate formally launched a drone delivery system there in December 2024, following work involving the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority and Dubai Future Foundation. Dedicated air routes were developed to fit drone operations around existing airspace use.

Keeta’s Dubai deployment was its first venture outside Greater China. The company’s system combines purpose-built drones, automated operating stations and software used for route planning, flight control and monitoring. Dubai authorities have required approved operating zones, infrastructure assessments and safety controls as the network has expanded.

Keeta’s aircraft use flight-control algorithms and multi-sensor positioning technology designed for urban operations. The drones are equipped with low-noise propellers, a parachute and an internally developed flight-control system, features cited by Dubai authorities when the service was introduced at Dubai Silicon Oasis.

The Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Keeta also signed an agreement in January 2025 covering the regulation and safety of drone deliveries. The framework included assessment of infrastructure, airspace requirements and security needs for designated operating zones.

Dubai later added a Keeta route in Nad Al Sheba, connecting food outlets at Nad Al Sheba Avenue Mall with a landing point at Nad Al Sheba Grand Mosque. At the time of that expansion, the authority said Keeta was operating four routes in Dubai Silicon Oasis.

The broader programme is part of Dubai’s plan to expand drone-based transport while retaining aviation oversight for low-altitude commercial flights. Authorities have previously set a target for drone delivery services to cover 33 per cent of Dubai by 2030, subject to regulatory, infrastructure and safety requirements.