Staff Reporter, Gulf Today

Dubai Metaverse Assembly will be organised by Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of the Executive Council and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the DFF, on Sept.28-29  at the Museum of the Future and AREA 2071.

The first-of-its-kind regional event will host 300 global experts and more than 40 organisations specialised in metaverse and virtual worlds applications.

As one of the region’s largest specialised events, the flagship event will explore the digital economy and identify how governments, businesses and communities can unlock the unlimited potential of the metaverse to create a bolder future.

More than 30 local and international leaders including international metaverse academics, designers, builders and specialists in virtual education, e-commerce, medicine, art, gaming, events, NFTs and other digital assets will speak at the two-day event. Additionally, the event will host speakers from renowned global organizations such as Meta, Binance, Mastercard, The Sandbox, Bedu, PWC, Accenture, BCG Digital Ventures, Decentraland, Mastercard among others.

Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, Deputy Managing Director of Dubai Future Foundation noted that the “Dubai Metaverse Assembly”, hosted in Dubai this week, serves as a global platform convening technology experts and the wider metaverse community from around the world to map out opportunities and harness the potential of this promising virtual world.

He added: “The specialized event is a first for the region and a unique opportunity to exchange knowledge and ideas on the best solutions, projects and industries likely to benefit from the metaverse’s vast potential. Through this inaugural event, we highlight the extraordinary potential of this immersive world to accelerate economic growth, drive innovation and create a fundamentally better future for humanity.”

More than 25 sessions, meetings, and workshops will take place across the Museum of the Future and AREA 2071 at Emirates Towers during the Dubai Metaverse Assembly. They will cover a broad gamut of topics: from building robust and scalable metaverse infrastructure to creating robust, business-friendly regulation and providing government services in the digital world. What major technology and private-sector companies should do to develop an industry that may exceed $30 trillion in 15 years will also be tackled when the world’s leading metaverse experts converge on Dubai.

Ziad Traboulsi, Director, Business Engineering at Reality Labs at Meta, commented: “We are excited to participate in the Dubai Metaverse Assembly and look forward to discussing the metaverse amongst a highly engaged and tech savvy audience. Although nothing beats being together in person, when it is not possible, the metaverse will get us closer, because interactions in the metaverse will feel more like those we have in our daily lives. Along with others, we are building the metaverse to be something that billions can benefit from.”

Keith Jordan, Vice President of Innovation at Mastercard Labs, Mastercard; a unique lab committed to delivering high-impact, customer-centric experiences said: “We look forward to welcoming leaders and futurists from across the globe as we explore the countless ways our realities will change as we enter the metaverse. Emerging worlds present limitless possibilities, and Mastercard is proud to drive the acceleration of these technologies as we support Dubai’s ambitions to become one of the world’s top 10 metaverse economies.”

Mastercard Labs will host a dedicated session on how shopping, banking and gaming are shaping the metaverse and how these will live side-by-side with the physical world.

Mark Zaleski, Managing Director and Partner at BCG Digital Ventures, the world’s leading business builder with a mission to invent, launch, and scale game-changing businesses, stated: “Dubai is globally recognized as a leading city of the future, and we see so much potential to unlock a wave of innovation and help businesses across the city embrace digital technology. The metaverse is at the heart of this digital transformation, and we’re excited by the opportunity to help businesses in Dubai leverage the virtual world to seize a competitive advantage. I’m delighted to join the conversation at this inaugural Dubai Metaverse Assembly Conference.”  

Alex Chehade, Executive Director and General Manager of Binance MENA, said: “I am looking forward to connect with peers, metaverse experts and enthusiasts at the Dubai Metaverse Assembly, which will provide a fantastic forum to bring the regional and international metaverse community together and stimulate the debate around virtual ecosystems.”

Alex added: “I am also keen to learn others’ points of view and share my own insights into the role that the decentralized world will play in the future of the digital economy. Regulation will substantially influence the possibilities of virtual worlds and their applications in the future, and therefore shaping stable, progressive regulatory frameworks is essential to build further trust and innovation in our industry and drive long-term growth.” Chehade concluded: “Binance remains committed to supporting and contributing to these objectives, and we see the Dubai Metaverse Assembly as an ideal platform to do so.”