At the end of September, something happened in Riyadh that just a couple of years ago would have looked like a high-quality deepfake. Chinese humanoid robots took the stage in traditional Saudi thobes and ghutras and performed the national sword dance — the Ardha.
The event took place in the cultural palace of Riyadh's diplomatic quarter. The Chinese embassy was hosting a reception on the occasion of the 77th anniversary of the founding of the PRC. Among the guests were the governor of the Riyadh region, Prince Faisal bin Abdulaziz, and the Chinese ambassador himself, Chang Hua.
The robots lined up, turned in unison, bowed and moved to the sound of traditional drums, holding ceremonial swords in their hands. Their movements came out precise enough that the audience did not immediately realize that they were machines. The Chinese ambassador even posted a video of the performance on his X account and called it "impressive."
The Ardha is not just a dance. It is an ancient warrior ritual that Saudis perform at weddings, national holidays and important ceremonies. The fact that it was entrusted to robots looks at once like a gesture of respect for the local culture and a rather bold demonstration of technology.
Not long ago, humanoids were mostly taught to walk, not fall over and carry boxes in warehouses. Now, apparently, they can already be trusted to host a corporate party. And not just any party, but one with swords and drums.
The result was a strange but very telling spectacle of the twenty-first century: robots from China in Saudi national dress dancing a traditional Arab dance in front of diplomats. Technology has reached a level where it is no longer merely shown at exhibitions but used as an element of soft power and cultural exchange.
They turned in unison, bowed, moved to the drums and tried to keep formation as if they had been rehearsed not by engineers but by a choreographer with very serious demands.
It all looked at once spectacular, high-tech and a little surreal.
Because it is one thing to see a robot in a factory.
And quite another to see one standing with a sword and clearly knowing the choreography better than half the guests at a wedding.
It seems the list of professions for humanoids has expanded once again:
courier, worker, assistant, security guard… and now also entertainer at a corporate party.
The next logical stage is a robot that, after the dance, takes the microphone and says:
"And now, a contest for the accounting department." 😄
