News

Google Brings Plus Codes To 18 MENA Countries

The geocode system behind the feature, called the Open Location Code, was developed at Google’s Zürich engineering office and launched in 2014.

Published

5 years ago

April 22, 2022

David Morelo

google brings plus codes to 18 mena countries

The Plus Codes feature of Google Maps will soon be turned on for users in 18 MENA countries, including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Egypt, Morocco, and Algeria.

The feature allows Google Maps users to turn their latitude and longitude co-ordinates into a short sequence of numbers and letters that they can easily share with others.

google maps how plus codes work

“Plus Codes are like street addresses for people or places that don’t have one,” explains Google. “With a Plus Code, people can receive deliveries, access emergency and social services, or just help other people find them.”

The geocode system behind the feature, called the Open Location Code (OLC), was developed at Google’s Zürich engineering office and launched in 2014.

Also Read: Disney+ Confirms Its Middle East Launch Date

Earlier this year, Plus Codes launched in India, quickly attracting hundreds of thousands of users. Plus Codes are also widely used by non-governmental organizations (NGOs), governments in Sub-Saharan Africa, and businesses that want to make it easier for customers to find them.

To Generate A Plus Code On A Computer

Open Google Maps.
Select the location for which you want to generate a Plus Code.
Click the coordinates (such as 49.475019, 17.116156) displayed in the info box at the bottom.
Hover your mouse over the plus code in the left pane.
Click the copy button to copy the generated Plus Code to the clipboard.

To Generate A Plus Code On A Mobile Device

Launch the Google Maps app.
Drop a pin at the location for which you want to generate a Plus Code.
Tap the “Dropped pin” panel at the bottom.
Find the Plus Code beside the Plus Code logo.
Tap the Plus Code to copy it to the clipboard.

Alternatively, you can use the map on the official website of Plus Code to quickly generate a Plus Code for any location with a street address.

News

Abu Dhabi’s Robot Kitchen Is Serving Up Biryani, Not Burgers

Circus SE wants to put a tiny automated factory inside the buildings where Gulf residents live and work, bypassing part of last-mile delivery.

Published

6 days ago

October 20, 2026

Nour Nasir

abu dhabi's robot kitchen is serving up biryani not burgers

Circus SE

The most telling thing about a new autonomous kitchen now running in Abu Dhabi’s Marina Square is what it won’t cook:

“We don’t do fast food,” says Nikolas Bullwinkel, Founder and CEO of Circus SE. “We’ve actively decided not to build a machine that can only do burgers”.

Instead, the CA-1 system is built around pot-based cooking: curries, pastas, soups and rice dishes. After experimenting with highly personalized recipes, Circus deliberately leaned back toward recognizable food. “We’re going with a chicken biryani because you know it,” Bullwinkel says of the AED 40 dish.

circus se ca-1 robot system

The Germany-based robotics and food technology company operates across eight countries, and Abu Dhabi is its first deployment outside Europe. More locations are expected there and in Dubai.

In Germany, its units can be placed in supermarkets, gas stations, airports and hospitals. In the Gulf, Bullwinkel wants them inside residential and office buildings, replacing some of the complexity of last-mile delivery. “We’re basically bringing a very tiny factory a few square meters into your building,” he says. Catering company Royal Prestige supplies the ingredients and knowledge of local tastes.

The CA-1 manages up to 36 refrigerated ingredient silos alongside automated induction cooking, robotic plating and a self-cleaning dishwasher. Two robotic arms move ingredients through the system with minimal human intervention. It can produce up to 120 hot meals an hour, and a meal such as rice and curry can take around three to four minutes.

Also Read: Ooredoo Qatar’s 5G+ Network Is Built For Machines As Much As People

Five cameras and multiple sensors monitor heat, temperature and consistency, an attempt to approximate what a chef perceives. “You can hear something gets burned, you can smell it, you can see it at some point,” Bullwinkel says. CircusOS, the company’s operating system, adjusts recipes in real time.

You might think of the platform as a threat to kitchen staff, but Bullwinkel frames Circus as a way for chefs to develop recipes and distribute them at scale. With that being said, rising labor costs and shortages are also part of his case for automation.