The UAE, which already boasts the world’s tallest skyscraper and has launched a daring Mars mission, now hopes to become a pioneer in the depths of the metaverse.
In a project launched at Dubai’s glittering Museum of the Future, he announced that the UAE Ministry of Economy is setting up shop inside the immersive virtual world that is now taking shape.
Those who don their virtual reality goggles or use other means to work domestically will find a ministry open for business with companies and sign bilateral agreements with foreign governments, officials said. Will also be ready for
Metaverse is an online world where users will eventually be able to game, work and study, its supporters say – although it is still in the “test” phase, the UAE’s economy minister admitted. .
Abdullah bin Towq Al Marri was speaking at the inaugural Dubai Metaverse Assembly, which was held at the museum, whose modern ring-shaped structure is decorated with Arabic calligraphy on the main thoroughfare of the city.
Representatives from tech giants mingled with entrepreneurs and developers exploring the potential of the metaverse, a network of digital space meant to be an extension of the physical world.
“In the last few years we’ve seen investment, we’ve seen companies move forward, and with the change in the (visa) system… we see talent coming in,” Almiri told AFP in an interview. Is.”
“We trained our employees to really immerse themselves in Metaverse, use Metaverse and engage with the upcoming Generation Z,” he added.
The UAE, which has a history of bold projects including the 830-meter (2,723-foot) Burj Khalifa, hopes Metaverse can add $4 billion in annual GDP and 40,000 jobs to its workforce by 2030. .
In an effort to become one of the world’s top 10 metaverse economies, Dubai wants to attract 1,000 companies specializing in blockchain and related technologies, with visas for freelancers, entrepreneurs and creatives. The rules have been relaxed.
As the coronavirus pandemic pushed more and more people into the online world, “Covid really accelerated that trend,” Almari added.
“We thought Metaverse was a phase technology” that might take 10 to 20 years to emerge.” “COVID-19 really hit us so hard and accelerated the use of Metaverse.”
- Visits to Virtual Mars –
Unlike the UAE’s oil-rich capital Abu Dhabi, crude represents just five percent of Dubai’s economy, which has focused on business, tourism, real estate and new technologies.
The UAE has already introduced a law governing virtual assets and a regulatory body for cryptocurrencies, while welcoming major crypto exchange platforms.
One of the UAE’s earliest private-sector projects is called 2117, named after Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid’s dream of colonizing Mars a century from now.
Metaverse users can now purchase tickets to join a virtual shuttle carrying settlers to the Red Planet.
“Many of us will not live long enough to see this mission with our own eyes,” said Amin al-Zaroni, founder of the Bedouin startup behind the virtual Mars journey.
“We will try to replicate this experiment in the metaverse.”
So far, use of Metaverse is niche and even its architects say mass adoption is years away. How it will develop is unknown.
According to Meta, which owns Facebook and other social media titans, the analysis group’s research shows that Metaverse in the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey within 10 years if it follows the growth pattern of mobile technology. Can add $360 billion to GDP.
“We also know that when policy supports innovation, it accelerates the adoption of new technologies,” the company said, when asked about Dubai’s potential to become a Metaverse hub.
“If we look at the context of Dubai, there is already a clear strategy and goals to accelerate the adoption of Metaverse and investment in the building blocks of Metaverse.”
