Gitex Global 2022: UAE telecom giant e& enters the metaverse

The UAE’s telecom giant e& (formerly known as Etisalat Group) is welcoming visitors to e& universe, its virtual world, at the ongoing Gitex Global in Dubai.

With the soft launch of the platform, the group can virtually welcome visitors, enabling them to traverse the virtual and physical worlds.

The move to the metaverse marks the group’s foray into the next digital frontier as it seeks to develop and launch technology solutions to offer heightened interactive experiences.

Alongside e& universe are two use cases, Metaverse Service and etisalat by e&, aimed to give visitors varied experiences in art, music, entertainment and a glimpse into digital retail of the future, according to the state news agency, WAM.

Developed in partnership with HTC, the manufacturer of virtual reality and mobile devices, e& universe will be hosted virtually in Arcadia Planitia on Mars.

In one of the use cases, e& has partnered with SK Telecom to create Metaverse Service, which will take visitors through multiple virtual spaces and unique avatars, so that they can explore opportunities for social networking in the metaverse.

The second use case, in collaboration with Huawei, offers an insight into the virtual retail space, where visitors can enter the virtual world of etisalat by e&’s business centre.

In other news, Dubai Airport Freezone (DAFZ) is also set to venture into the metaverse with the launch of METADAFZ at Gitex Global 2022, taking place from October 10-14 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The initiative aims to attract foreign direct investment and businesses to the free zone by showcasing DAFZ’s offerings, products and solutions.

Read: Dubai Airport Freezone to enter metaverse with launch of METADAFZ at Gitex Global

For more updates on Gitex Global 2022, also read Live: All the latest news from Gitex Global 2022 in Dubai