UAE BEEAH Group unveils metaverse headquarters

UAE BEEAH Group has revealed that its highly anticipated Zaha Hadid headquarters will have a twin in the metaverse. Zaha Hadid headquarters is one of the smartest and most sustainable buildings in the world, and will feature a digital twin technology as a virtual parallel to its headquarters, aligning with the ‘Metaverse’.

With integrations for over 100 AI use cases, the BEEAH Headquarters is already the most AI-integrated workspace in the Middle East and is positioned as a model for the office of the future. One of the key technology integrations at the headquarters is the digital twin, which is a virtual replica of the headquarters physical structure and systems, tracking parameters and data in real-time. AI technologies then run simulations, studying the building’s occupancy rate, temperature and light preferences, as well as other variables. Finally, the AI proposes solutions or implements actions that will help realise energy ultra-efficiency.

The BEEAH Group CEO Khaled Al Huraimel highlighted how the building was designed to be future-ready and go beyond the physical workplace, envisioning a future with remote and virtual working environments. “From the beginning, we have seen the importance of using digital twin technology. It not only enables sustainable operations at LEED Platinum standards, but also helped realize our digital-driven office of the future. Digital twin technology is an essential building block for a parallel reality workplace, such as the Metaverse. It allows synchronicity between the physical and virtual worlds where our employees and partners can benefit from a simultaneous experience at our headquarters both physically and virtually.”

”As we designed the office of the future, we sought to integrate the best technologies for an experience that combines the best of both the physical and virtual worlds. This aligns with our vision of the future workplace and preparing for Web3. We expect that as our businesses grow, metaverse workplaces, will increasingly become a requirement for convenient collaboration across geographies and across our group verticals,” he added.

The BEEAH Headquarters has several access control measures in place, from number plate recognition to guide drivers to the correct smart parking spot to facial recognition at a virtual concierge. For employees, a companion app also allows access to specific areas such as control rooms. In the near future, the Khaled Al Huraimel envisions smart contracts and blockchain technology to provide the next level of convenience for employee access to different utilities and functions. “We will be able to centralize access control and employee identification for employees, through blockchain technology. This will further enhance security, from entry to physical spaces within the building and also virtual rooms. The Employee smart contracts will provide not just access to the HQ but also to several other utilities as part of their employment within the group."

The BEEAH Group worked closely with Microsoft, Johnson Controls and EVOTEQ to implement the next-generation technologies at the BEEAH Headquarters. EVOTEQ is a venture of BEEAH Digital, the Group’s digital transformation and future technologies business. Under BEEAH Digital, re.life is another venture with a digital ecosystem conceived to realis the next level of convenience for people, at home and in the workplace.

BEEAH Digital will also be building the first Data Centre in the Emirate of Sharjah. In addition to featuring cutting-edge technologies from the industry, the headquarters also showcases the success of the Group’s digital ventures.