Dubai has launched its first virtual mall at the World Government Summit in Dubai.
The Mall of the Metaverse will open to guests who are seeking more digital experiences across retail, entertainment, and leisure options after undergoing many testing phases. Among the most advanced metaverse platforms, Mall of the Metaverse will represent Masjid Al Futtaim in the Decentraland universe.
Having completed multiple stages of testing, Mall of the Metaverse will soon be available for mall visitors to shop, seeking enhanced digital experiences across retail, entertainment, and leisure. Many more brands and exciting features are on the way to the mall, including Carrefour, VOX Cinemas, THAT Concept Store, Ghawali and Samsung Store.
“For us at Majid Futtaim, it is key to keep an eye on user and shopper behaviours and how they evolve over time. We want to find new ways of creating memorable moments every day – and we’re ready to deliver that even on a network of platforms as huge as the metaverse,” said Khalifa Bin Braik, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Asset Management.
“Our Mall of the Metaverse will be yet another one of our leading retail and entertainment destinations – and surely a huge attraction for customers who crave digital experiences from their most loved brands,” he added.
“There has been an increased demand for digital experiences in the last few years and we work to leverage behavioural science and data to deliver customers what they want and desire. Our swift consumer observations, followed by an action plan and a series of testing stages, has now led to a fully-fledged project that is a step ahead of online shopping – Mall of the Metaverse. We are still at the beginning phases of the mall’s development, as we look closely at our customers’ shifting needs, desires and expectations,” said Fatima ada, Director of Omnichannels and Digital, Majid Al Futtaim Shopping Malls.
The UAE has made several advancements in the metaverse, with three healthcare groups foraying into the virtual world. The Dubai Mall has showcased its Etisalat store in the metaverse last year. Dubai has a metaverse strategy that aims to support 40,000 virtual jobs and add $4 billion to its economy in five years.