The United Arab Emirates, which prides itself on its skyscrapers in the world and has also launched a Mars mission, is now hoping to venture into the depths of the metaverse.
In a project launched at Dubai’s glittering Museum of the Future, Emirati officials have announced that the UAE’s Ministry of Economy is opening an office in an immersive virtual world under construction.
Officials say people who use virtual reality goggles or other means to work inside the metaverse will find a ministry there that can do business with companies and even sign bilateral agreements with foreign governments. will
The UAE’s economy minister admitted that Metaverse, which is still in an ‘experimental’ stage, is an online world that its developers say will allow users to work and study alongside playing games.
Abdullah Bin Toq Al Marri was addressing the inaugural Dubai Metaverse Assembly held at the ring-shaped museum decorated with Arabic calligraphy on the city’s main road.
Representatives from major technology companies met with enterprises and developers to learn about the potential of Metaverse, an extension of the real world into the digital world.
“Over the last few years, with the visa system changing, we’ve seen investment, we’ve seen companies move in, and we’ve seen talent coming in,” Abdullah bin Touq al-Marri told AFP. .’
“We have trained our employees to learn the Metaverse, use it and interact with the upcoming Generation Z,” he added.
The UAE, which has a history of major projects including the 830-meter (2,723-foot) Burj Khalifa, hopes the metaverse will contribute $4 billion a year to its GDP and 40,000 jobs to its workforce by 2030. can add
Dubai aims to become one of the world’s top 10 economies, attracting 1,000 companies specializing in blockchain and related technologies with the help of relaxed visa rules for freelancers, entrepreneurs and creatives.
Abdullah Bin Toq Al Marri added that because of the coronavirus, more and more people have moved to the online world and ‘Covid really accelerated that trend.’
“We think the metaverse is a nascent technology” that could take 10 to 20 years to emerge, he said. Because of Covid-19 we moved into it quickly and its use has increased.’
Unlike the UAE’s oil-rich capital Abu Dhabi, crude oil accounts for only five percent of Dubai’s economy, which is focused on business, tourism, real estate and new technologies.
The UAE has already introduced a law governing a regulatory body for virtual assets and cryptocurrencies, while welcoming major crypto exchange platforms.
One of the UAE’s earliest private sector Metaverse projects is 2117, named after Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid’s dream of colonizing Mars a century from now.
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Metaverse users can now purchase tickets to join a virtual shuttle carrying settlers to the red planet.
“Many of us will not live to see this mission with our own eyes,” said Amin al-Zaruni, founder of the Bedo startup behind the virtual journey to Mars. We will try to replicate this experience in the metaverse.’
So far, use of Metaverse is extremely limited and even its makers say it could be years before it becomes widely used. It is also not known how it will proceed.
According to Meta, which owns Facebook and other major social media platforms, the analysis group’s research shows that if it follows the growth pattern of mobile technology, the Metaverse will dominate the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey in 10 years. KGDP can add 360 billion dollars.
Asked about Dubai becoming a Metaverse hub, the company said, ‘We also know that when policy supports innovation, it accelerates the adoption of new technologies.
If we look at the context of Dubai, there are already a clear strategy and goals for the building blocks of Metaverse, its adoption and investment.’
