Saeed Bot: Oman’s First Robot with an Omani Identity

At first glance, he looks almost familiar.
Dressed in traditional Omani attire, greeting visitors with warmth and humor, “Saeed” does not immediately resemble the cold metallic image often associated with robots. Children gather around him curiously. Adults stop to film him. Some laugh in surprise when he responds in Arabic with expressions and gestures that feel distinctly local.
But behind the smiling digital face is a larger story, one about how technology can wear the colours of culture instead of replacing them.
The idea for Saeed Bot began with a simple but ambitious question posed by Omani entrepreneur Khalid al Qassabi: why should interactive robots remain culturally neutral when they could instead reflect the people around them?

“We wanted to create a different experience”, Al Qassabi explains. “Something that combines technology and entertainment in a way that feels close to people. We asked ourselves: why not create a robot with an Omani spirit and identity?”
The robot itself was originally imported from China, but according to Al Qassabi, the machine was only the starting point. The real challenge lay in transforming it from a device into a personality.
The team carefully reshaped every detail of Saeed’s character. His name, clothing, language, greetings and even sense of humour were designed to mirror the rhythms of Omani society. The goal was not simply to display advanced technology, but to make people feel that the technology belonged to them.

“We did not want him to be just a robot performing a show”, Al Qassabi says. “We wanted people to feel that Saeed represents them and reflects their culture in a modern and innovative way”.
That balancing act between modernity and heritage was not without hesitation. In a society deeply connected to tradition, blending artificial intelligence with symbols of national identity, such as the Omani dishdasha and kuma, initially raised eyebrows.
“There was some surprise at first because the idea was new and unusual”, Al Qassabi admits. “But over time people understood that the purpose was to present Omani identity in a positive and respectful modern way”.

Today, Saeed appears at exhibitions, schools and public events across the Sultanate of Oman, where he serves not only as entertainment but also as an unlikely cultural ambassador. He introduces children to robotics and innovation while simultaneously reinforcing local customs, values and language.
For Al Qassabi, this educational dimension is central to the project. He believes young people absorb messages more naturally when they are delivered through interaction and play rather than formal lectures.
“We believe technology is not only for entertainment”, he says. “It can also become a powerful educational tool”.

Perhaps the clearest sign of Saeed’s success can be found online. On his very own Instagram page, @saeedbot.om, followers interact with the robot almost as if he were human, commenting on his personality, waiting for his appearances and responding to him emotionally rather than mechanically.
That reaction, Al Qassabi says, revealed something important: people connect more deeply with technology when it speaks their language, understands their environment and reflects their identity.
In Saeed Bot, Omanis are not merely seeing the future arrive.
They are seeing it dressed in their own image.