Shaffra, a Metaverse-as-a-Service company (MaaS) has entered the UAE market by unveiling its platform, which is all ready to transform the way organizations engage with their customers and stakeholders.
Using innovative new 3D technologies, Shaffra is introducing the next era of virtual experiences where users can interact and collaborate with each other as well as with digital assets in real time.
Shaffra’s 3D engine is built around easing the process of entering the metaverse for everyone, particularly corporates and government agencies, by providing a cost-effective solution and a simple interface.
Government entities and corporates can now build their own metaverse without having to go through the expensive and time consuming effort of creating a platform from scratch. As a matter of fact, Shaffra’s solution revolutionizes the traditional ways of engaging with customers in a virtual space, and creates a higher quality of marketing in the metaverse.
The space is already familiar with how some retailers enhance their customer reach by allowing them to virtually try out clothes, but with the increased 3D definition and immersive interface, the retail experience is now more personal and adaptive to user preferences.
Commenting on the matter, Alatawi, Co-founder & CEO at Sahffra explained to UNLOCK Blockchain that the company has developed its own proprietary engine, rather than relying on existing platforms. Shaffra’s goal was to address several issues the team has encountered including:
- High costs for business deployment
- Lack of control over user data
- Interoperability issues
- Lack of ownership
He further explained that under the guidance of the CTO/Co-founder who has a background in AAA gaming engines and large data online platforms, Shaffra has a strong team of engineers, some of whom hold research positions at various universities in Europe. This has allowed the company to build for the future, utilizing emerging technologies such as web GPU, which enables browsers to tap directly into GPUs.
He said, “We use our proprietary platform as the foundation for every project we undertake, customizing specific features as needed for different clients. As we continue to add new features, we adopt deployment and pricing models similar to those used by SaaS platforms, which significantly reduces deployment time and costs.”
It is important to note that tourism and hospitality will also be a major player in this space, as countries can now market their tourism experiences through virtual walkthroughs of major destinations and hot spots, allowing customers to map their journey before even beginning their journey.
According to a report by MarketsAndMarkets, the metaverse industry is projected to grow from USD 61.8 billion in 2022 to USD 426.9 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 47.2% during the forecast period.
Additionally, as per Gartner, by 2026 at least 25% of people will spend a minimum of one hour every day in the metaverse for different purposes like work, shopping, education, and even entertainment.
With Shaffra’s launch, companies and governments can now both capitalize on this burgeoning market and create a seamless, engaging virtual experience for their target audience.
The launch is in line with Dubai’s Metaverse Strategy, announced by the government in July 2022, which aims to contribute $4 billion to the economy, support 40,000 virtual jobs, and position the city as a global leader in the metaverse industry.
Capitalizing on this announcement, a number of metaverse and related artificial intelligence companies are already initiating projects in the city, with blockchain related players also interested in building their regional base under this national Strategy.
When asked about Shaffra’s decision to expand in the UAE market, Alatawi said, “We are a Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) company. While many other solutions are capitalizing on the excitement surrounding the metaverse by focusing on social behaviors, brand awareness, and recognition through having a metaverse presence, we have chosen to take a different approach. Our focus is entirely on business and enterprise, identifying specific use cases that can have a positive impact on a company’s bottom line. This includes improving business efficiency, attracting and converting more customers, and converting virtual experiences into real-life income.”
He added, “The UAE, and Dubai in particular, are at the forefront of innovation, and the region’s primary focus on business-driven ecosystems aligns perfectly with our core unique selling points. This made it an ideal fit for us.”
With the growth of NFTs globally and in the GCC region, the platform also allows users to build, store and trade NFTs as well. With customizable virtual environments, real-time interactivity, and scalability and security, businesses of all sizes will enjoy a frictionless end-to-end metaverse solution.
Shaffra will be taking things a step further by launching improved technology by the end of the year to bring a gaming level 3D experience to the browser, further enhancing the metaverse experience for users.
