Abu Dhabi: e&, formerly known as Etisalat Group, is set to enthral stand goers at GITEX Global 2022 by inviting them to enter the next digital universe with the soft launch of their virtual world, e& universe.

This move marks a significant achievement in the Group’s transformation journey to a global technology and investment conglomerate, as it takes its first steps into the metaverse.

Making its debut at GITEX Global 2022, one of the region’s largest technology exhibitions and conferences, e& universe will virtually welcome visitors, empowering them to traverse the virtual and physical worlds, profoundly changing the way they interact.

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.

The UAE has made great strides in the metaverse arena and this latest launch from e& highlights its commitment to the vision of the leadership in enhancing the country’s position as its stands at the forefront of global ICT industry, with the adoption of the most advanced of technologies. Globally, there have been several investments towards building the technology and infrastructure for the metaverse, touching more USD 120 billion during the first five months of this year, doubling since 2021.

e& is not only showcasing the latest technological innovations but is also creating an incredible immersive and innovative experience through e& universe, a first of its kind venture in the region. The move to the metaverse is a start of a remarkable journey into the next digital frontier for the Group as it seeks to do things differently, develop and launch technology solutions that will empower customers and businesses to offer heightened interactive experiences.

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

Marking significant achievements in e&’s journey to revolutionise the customer experience as a global technology and investment conglomerate, the e& universe showcase is also accompanied by two other use cases offering unique experiences through the metaverse.

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, gives insight into the virtual retail space, where visitors can enter the virtual world of etisalat by e&’s business centre.