Introduction
The “Metaverse” wildfire has spread throughout the world. Although not fully defined as what it is, the term is familiar to a massive number of the world’s population. It is vaguely seen in the light of gaming and virtual world experiences manifested by VR, AR, and XR experiences. It has taken up an alternate universe where individuals, companies, etc., can create a workspace, relaxation space, entertainment space, investment space, and other infinite numbers of applications. These applications appeal to all, even in areas like the MENA region that generally have a comparably lower acceptance of blockchain technology.
This article discusses some of the top Metaverse projects and events that have emerged in the MENA region.
Some of the top projects in the MENA region and events that signify metaverse activity are outlined according to the areas below.
The Most Popular Metaverse Projects and Activities in Various MENA Regions
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Metaverse Customer Happiness Service Center
In January 2022, the UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) launched the world’s first Metaverse customer happiness service center at Arab Health 2022.
The first Metaverse customer happiness service avails visitors the to Arab Health 2022 the opportunity to experience “Metaverse awesomeness” as they get a chance to speak to an actual team member in an augmented reality setting, even though the full version of the MoHAP MetaHealth platform is expected to be launched by mid-2022.
Metaverse Restaurant
A Dubai-based company located in Central Park Towers, CollossalBit, is changing the conventional eating style. In January 2022, CollossalBit opened the first-of-its-kind Metaverse restaurant and lounge in the UAE. Its MetaTerrace aims to combine the digital and physical worlds in a resto-lounge with a virtual reality room to facilitate the metaverse experience. According to the company, visitors will use VR glasses to step into alternate worlds, meet other people, have drinks, and engage in animated discussions.
Sharjah’s Bee’ah Group HQ will have a ‘virtual twin” in the Metaverse
Dubai tech giant, Sharjah’s Bee’ah Group, has announced its plan to have its Zaha Hadid-designed headquarters in the Metaverse as a parallel “world” for the company and individuals alike. The company, which is into renewable and clean energy ways, undoubtedly views this as a step in the right direction to further their cause.
Metaverse Dubai Introduces the World’s First Virtual Mega City
Metaverse Dubai is building a virtual Dubai. The concept is based on a real-world map of Dubai’s most prestigious areas, and it features virtual replicas of the city’s aesthetics, geometry, and topography.
DAMAC Properties to Build Metaverse Project
A leading real estate property developer in the UAE, DAMAC Properties,, plans to build a novel Metaverse project, featuring numerous brand collaborators such as Paramount Hotels and Resorts, Fendi Casa, Cavalli, Radisson, Versace Home, The Trump Organization, and Rotana.
According to Ali Sajwani, DAMAC Property’s Managing Director, the real estate giant hopes to launch its Metaverse plans in March 2022, shortly after purchasing virtual land on The Sandbox’s Metaverse platform.
EGYPT
Next Decentrum Partners With DAF To Bring Ancient Egypt to Life In The Metaverse
Next Decentrum Technologies Inc. announced a partnership with Digital Access to Finance (DAF) to launch several NFT projects inspired by Egyptian art, culture, and history to bring some of the world’s most iconic artifacts to the Metaverse.
Iran
Iranian exchange to launch NFT gallery in the Metaverse
Excoino, an Iranian exchange, launched its NFT gallery in the Metaverse on December 21, 2021, which coincides with the Iranian Yalda celebration day. The gallery started with 50 artworks by Iranian artists in its metaverse gallery. “The gallery is held permanently so that visitors can purchase their favorite artwork directly from the owner of the artwork. “Excoino exchange has no intention in selling or purchasing the artworks, and everything is done via the platform displayed by the owner”says Excoino Metaverse Project Supervisor Reza Soltani.
Excoino’s concept was created in Decentraland, a popular metaverse project. The goal is to make space to introduce Iranian NFT artworks to the world with no fees commissioned.
Tunisia
Meta to hold Digital Awareness event in Tunisia
Meta intends to hold the first event in Tunis to raise digitalization awareness in North Africa.
According to a report. Meta, formerly Facebook, held its first event in Tunisia for awareness-raising purposes on February 26, 2022. Some 250 small and medium-sized enterprises participated in this event, organized in partnership with the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Executive Development (CEED) in Tunisia.
The event aimed to raise awareness among the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the importance of digitalization as a powerful asset for effectively combating COVID-19 on their business and transforming challenges into opportunities for growth.
The first panel of this event tackled “Digitalisation of SMEs and the Evolution of Trade” with panelists from North Africa and META’s Head of Service Industries: FS, Mobility, and Travel for the MENA region, Joachim Marciano.
The second panel addressed “XR technologies and the Metaverse,” which refers to extended reality, through sharing META’s perspective on the Metaverse and what it could mean for businesses.
The panel was preceded by a discussion with META’s Director of Engineering, Ziad Traboulsi.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s new Metaverse will help design a $500bn city.
Saudi Arabia is taking the Metaverse to the next level. The idea is to build a digital twin with XVRS capabilities in the NEOM zone. NEOM, a Greek-Arabic portmanteau meaning “New Future,” will represent “the first metaverse that is a metaverse,” in that it will truly bring together the physical and digital worlds. For example, XVRS could allow a virtual visit from the US to experience a hike through the mountainous areas of NEOM—all without leaving their armchair. An artist could even post an NFT in a virtual space, which would appear on the wall of an actual physical apartment.
NEOM Tech & Digital also announced the development of a consent management platform that will give users better control of their data than the current systems and have opportunities to earn money for sharing it.
Named M3LD (pronounced “meld”), the platform will monitor who has a specific person’s data and its use, allowing the user to choose how much personal data to share and provide recommendations on privacy settings.
Expected to be released in early 2023, M3LD will be used within NEOM and exported globally. The innovators of this tech see it as a response to the “privacy paradox”—that people are giving away more information than ever but do not understand the context in which it is being used.
Yemen
Using Metaverse for vital healthcare training in Yemen
In 2021, a group was known as “One Shot Immersive and Foolproof” won the ‘Most Effective Use of AR and VR’ category at The Drum Awards for the Digital Industries. Their innovation was VR software that trains healthcare staff to handle mass casualties better.
In January 2020, 60 Yemeni healthcare staff were trained for mass casualties using One-Shot VR software. A world first. In real terms, it means six Yemeni healthcare staff are now equipped to go back to their hospitals and deliver triage at the worst cases and empowered to teach their colleagues the ICRC triage methodology. Through VR, they have experienced real-life scenarios, made vital decisions, and learned lessons in a safe environment.
Since then, the success of showing that this kind of technology can be used in the most dangerous and austere parts of the world has attracted other large organizations struggling to make full use of what is now readily available technology.
Qatar
Qatar National Library will host a Metaverse education session.
Aware of the role of the Metaverse in education, the Qatar National Library will host a webinar on “Education in the Metaverse” on March 6, 2022.
The session would open up the minds of young adults and teachers to the possibility of learning in an alternate and more graphical universe. This application in education can already be visualized as being more fun than the traditional learning methods today.
Conclusion
The Metaverse, with its several applications and dimensions, has continually turned heads as it continues to spread and gain traction. While still in its infant stage, it is creating a path for the future that would truly change the direction of technological development. Having embraced this great technology, the MENA region stands to have additional future benefits as the complete picture of the future Metaverse unravels.