written by
Lore De Jonge

Uptown tower in Dubai becomes the world’s first supertall tower to adopt robotics for lift installation

Global Local 4 min read

Dubai, UAE - For the construction of Uptown Tower in Dubai, BESIX Group subsidiary Six Construct, Schindler and DMCC, the world’s largest Free Zone in the heart of Dubai, have chosen to deploy Schindler R.I.S.E, the world’s first robot able to perform installation work in an elevator shaft.

The 340m tall tower is the first building be completed in the Uptown Dubai district, with an expected delivery in 2022. Designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture and built by BESIX Group, the tower will feature 188 luxury hotel rooms and suites, restaurants, health spas, conference facilities, and 229 uniquely designed branded residences. Guided by a smart and sustainable construction strategy, Uptown Tower will be a LEED Gold Certified Building, and home to a state-of-the-art DMCC Business Hub.

Known for adopting innovative solutions, BESIX is using the autonomous and self-climbing robot pioneered by Schindler, Schindler’s Robotic Installation System for Elevators (Schindler R.I.S.E), for the first time on a supertall tower. Ideally suited for use in high-rise buildings, Schindler R.I.S.E will travel to all the levels of the tower to accurately measure and drill precision holes to set the anchor bolts necessary for the installation of the elevator guide rails and landing doors.

What were only trends yesterday have accelerated to become the norm.

“If the Covid-19 pandemic is not the only driver of the improvement in productivity on construction, it will certainly be its accelerator, in particular through the digitalisation of processes,” said Luis Miguel Monteiro, Project Director at Six Construct of the Dubai Uptown Tower.

This cutting-edge technology is revolutionising the elevator installation by making construction faster and more accurate, while also improving the health and safety conditions for technicians. Robotic systems are becoming increasingly important to automate many of the construction industry’s repetitive and physically demanding tasks. Customer also benefit from increased accuracy, better quality installations and greater work safety & health conditions on the jobsite.

Paul Ashton, Executive Director – Property, DMCC, said: “Using innovative solutions to build Uptown Tower in a sustainable and safe manner aligns perfectly with DMCC’s core ethos. The Schindler R.I.S.E solution will not only provide a safer workplace for those working on the project but will also result in a higher-quality product.”

As a technology leader in innovative urban solutions for smart cities, Schindler R.I.S.E couples artificial intelligence with elevator technology to enable the safe and precise installation of elevators, paving the way for greater automation and digitalisation in the elevator industry. Digitalisation extends the capabilities of Schindler R.I.S.E by also enabling it to record actions and automatically exchange data with a digital model of the building.

The pioneering innovation was nominated as a finalist for the Innovation Award 2019 by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitats (CTBUH). It was also nominated finalist in the category Innovation Leaders of this year’s Swiss Technology Award, the most important distinction for innovation and technology transfer in Switzerland.

This is another example of Schindler’s commitment to providing smart urban mobility solutions to shape smart cities of the future.


About Schindler:

Founded in Switzerland in 1874, the Schindler Group is a leading global provider of elevators, escalators and related services. Schindler mobility solutions move more than 1.5 billion people every day all over the world. Behind the company's success are over 65,000 employees in more than 100 countries.

About DMCC:

Headquartered in Dubai, DMCC is the world’s most interconnected Free Zone, and the leading trade and enterprise hub for commodities. Whether developing vibrant neighbourhoods with world-class property like Jumeirah Lakes Towers and the much-anticipated Uptown Dubai, or delivering high performance business services, DMCC provides everything its dynamic community needs to live, work and thrive. Made for Trade, DMCC is proud to sustain and grow Dubai’s position as the place to be for global trade today and long into the future. www.dmcc.ae

About Six Construct:

Operating in the United Arab Emirates since 1966, Six Construct is a subsidiary of BESIX Group, the largest Belgian construction company, and has been a driving force in the development of the Arabian Peninsula.

Six Construct designs and builds the most complex projects, comprising buildings and skyscrapers, marine-related projects, infrastructures, waste and water treatment installations, sports and leisure facilities.

The company stands out by having an in-house Engineering department, with state-of-the-art expertise in diverse fields enabling it to carry out unique projects, particularly in terms of technical and environmental aspects.

In the United Arab Emirates, Six Construct has notably participated to the construction of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower, the Dubai Tram, the Emirates Palace, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the Dubai Water Canal, the Ferrari World theme park as well as major terminals and port facilities. www.sixconstruct.com

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