Zain telecom jumps into the metaverse with HTC

Zain has become the latest global corporation to jump on the metaverse train. The company has signed an agreement with HTC to bring HTC Vive VR glasses to the MENA. The move is part of Zain’s grand campaign of onboarding the region into the immersive 3D world dubbed, the metaverse.

The company said it will make Vive devices available in the region as part of a strategy of enabling access to the metaverse. The devices will be available to customers through Zain’s e-commerce platforms, in addition to a range of third party physical and online stores.

Zain also said it will market the Vive ecosystem and Vivesport content through its e-sports division and operator units across Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Jordan.

The Kuwait-based telecommunications giant has sweetened the deal by offering its subscribers an option to purchase a subscription to Viveport services through its internal billing.

The two companies see the deal as a huge opportunity of tapping into the much-hyped metaverse. Commenting on the partnership, the duo said in a statement, it “will take both companies one step closer in bringing the metaverse to their customers.”

Zain and HTC Vive hope to provide unmatched premium VR experiences in the middle eastern region.

Malek Hammoud thinks that this deal will launch the telecommunications company’s campaign in the metaverse, revamping its portfolio of digital product offerings in the Middle East.

Zain’s long-term goal is to expand the device distribution across other markets in the future, further extending the relationship between the two companies. 

HTC Vive glasses are some of the leading VR devices in the virtual reality market. The device is already widely used in VR gaming and has recently been adopted for use in the metaverse amid the explosion of the industry. 

However, some business magnates and renowned investors in Web3 like Mark Cuban have downplayed the feasibility of using VR glasses in the metaverse as an adoption catalyst.

The Middle East is one of the leading early adopters of Web3 and the metaverse, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia at the forefront.