This work presents a neural observer-based controller for uncertain nonlinear discrete-time systems with unknown time-delays. The proposed neural observer does not need previous knowledge of the model about the system under consideration, neither the value of its parameters, delays, nor their explicit estimations. The proposed neural observer is based on a neural network composed of two recurrent high order neural networks (RHONNs) for nonmeasurable state variables, one in a parallel configuration, and for measurable state variables one in a series-parallel configuration. The neural network is trained on-line with an extended Kalman filter algorithm. The proposed RHONN observer provides a mathematical model for the system. Based on such a resulting mathematical model, a control law is designed using discrete-time sliding mode block control. Applicability is presented using real-time results that show the performance of the proposal using a linear induction motor prototype as the selected system; this prototype is under the presence of varying time-delays. A Lyapunov analysis is included to prove the semi-globally uniformly ultimately boundedness (SGUUB) of the proposed RHONN observer-controller scheme for uncertain nonlinear discrete-time systems with unknown delays. K E Y W O R D S discrete-time sliding modes, Lyapunov stability, neural block control, neural state estimation, real-time, time-delay systems 8402