Etisalat Opens Virtual Store in Metaverse

The Etisalat store at Dubai Mall intends to create a replication for itself in the metaverse for its consumers.

The virtual store was showcased to the public during Gitex Global, held at the Dubai World Trade Center. Etisalat aims to make all its stores across the UAE accessible to everyone.

In this regard, Director of Infosys Technologies UAE, a consulting and IT services company, Abdul Mateen Mavad said the debut of the store in the metaverse and offering products in the virtual world is a massive advancement because the move will offer distinguished features.

Mavad clarified that any customer can access, navigate, purchase and benefit from the integrated services offered at the virtual store around the clock, regardless of his location, noting that what the customer does at the store will be done from his home.

“Once you tour the store you will see the products and services showcased and people can see the details of each product,” he pointed out.

The products will be viewed using virtual and augmented reality technologies, he said. Wearing VR glasses, people will have a captivating experience at the store.

Moreover, they can access it through their iPads or similar devices instead of VR glasses using touchscreen technology. The store also offers an interactive experience as customers can interact with each other in the virtual world regardless of their location.

Once a customer places an order on the metaverse, he will receive a QR code in an SMS message, through which the customer can get his purchases from any store across the UAE.

Earlier this month, Etisalat, e&, launched its virtual world, e& universe hosted virtually in Arcadia Planitia on Mars to provide an enriching experience for users through multiple virtual spaces and avatars based on the 5G technology.

Over the past few years, the UAE, especially Dubai, has positioned itself as one of the world’s prominent hubs for metaverse and blockchain technologies.

The Emirati government, in July, launched the Dubai Metaverse Strategy, which aims to contribute $4 billion to the emirate’s economy. The strategy targets increasing the number of blockchain and metaverse companies fivefold within five years as well as offering 40,000 virtual jobs.