8 VR Startups in The MENA Region that will reshape the future August 22, 2017
From experiencing the Holy Mecca in Egypt, to virtually living in a battlefield or using digital innovation to tackle claustrophobia, these 8 Virtual Reality startups are swiftly revolutionizing the Middle East.
Although aliens and unicorns don’t exist, people can’t (yet) travel to Mars, and skiing in Dubai costs a fortune, Virtual Reality (VR) is making all of these achievable by creating a digital-reality-experience. This technology takes people to entirely new places without needing to be physically present – you could believe you’re even sitting on the moon. But far from offering merely entertainment, these Middle Eastern startups are audaciously tackling some of the region’s most pressing issues – from mental health to the refugee crisis – and innovating their way to a new reality. Here’s eight pioneering startups using high-tech goggles to create virtual experiences.
1. GigaWorks: Their Dubai Skiing Experience is enough to have you fall head over heels over this UAE startup. Whether it’s using VR to test drive the new Mercedes Benz, or getting an adrenaline rush from drifting and karting, this startup is turning digital marketing into an exhilarating experience for its users – including a VR invitation for the Dubai International Film Festival. But that’s not all – its Lebanese founder, Karim Saad, is setting eyes on something bigger, integrating VR with filmmaking and storytelling. ”There’s massive potential for VR on TV or video on demand, even movie theaters have come after me asking for VR content for consumers,” he tells Startup Scene, as he anticipates working on a story for next year’s Dubai International Film Festival.
