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Dubai Is Building A New Mall In The Metaverse

The virtual shopping center will set a new standard for immersive online shopping experiences.

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dubai is building a new mall in the metaverse

The metaverse still feels like a distant and obscure concept for average consumers. However, for leading brands, this parallel digital universe is already worth investing in, and retailers are building out virtual stores as quickly as possible.

Retail group Majid Al Futtaim has taken metaverse retail to its next logical progression, unveiling the “Mall of the Metaverse” in Decentraland to compliment its brick-and-mortar outlet.

Customers will be able to engage with “immersive retail experiences” in the new virtual mall, where various brands, including Carrefour, VOX Cinemas, THAT Concept Store, Ghawali, and Samsung Store, will soon set up for business.

vox cinema mall of the metaverse dubai

Khalifa bin Braik, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Asset Management, is confident that the Mall of the Metaverse “will become a prominent retail and entertainment destination for customers who seek digital experiences from their favorite brands.”

magic planet mall of the metaverse dubai

Meanwhile, Fatima Zada, the director of Omnichannel and Digital, Majid Al Futtaim Shopping Malls, notes an increase in demand for digital experiences, with his team using “behavioral science and data” to plan a retail future that eclipses simple online shopping.

Also Read: Introducing Bard, Google’s Response To ChatGPT

Dubai has already made significant progress in metaverse development, and last year, the Dubai Mall unveiled a digital version of its Etisalat store. These announcements collectively aid the city’s metaverse strategy, which hopes to create 40,000 jobs and bring $4 billion to the economy over the next five years.

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Rabbit Expands Hyperlocal Delivery Service In Saudi Arabia

The e-commerce startup is aiming to tap into the Kingdom’s underdeveloped e-grocery sector with a tech-first, locally rooted strategy.

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rabbit expands hyperlocal delivery service in saudi arabia
Rabbit

Rabbit, an Egyptian-born hyperlocal e-commerce startup, is expanding into the Saudi Arabian market, setting its sights on delivering 20 million items across major cities by 2026.

The company, founded in 2021, is already operational in the Kingdom, with its regional headquarters now open in Riyadh and an established network of strategically located fulfillment centers — commonly known as “dark stores” — across the capital.

The timing is strategic: Saudi Arabia’s online grocery transactions currently sit at 1.3%, notably behind the UAE (5.3%) and the United States (4.8%). With the Kingdom’s food and grocery market estimated at $60 billion, even a modest increase in online adoption could create a multi-billion-dollar opportunity.

Rabbit also sees a clear alignment between its business goals and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which aims to boost retail sector innovation, support small and medium-sized enterprises, attract foreign investment, and develop a robust digital economy.

The company’s e-commerce model is based on speed and efficiency. Delivery of anything from groceries and snacks to cosmetics and household staples is promised in 20 minutes or less, facilitated by a tightly optimized logistics system — a crucial component in a sector where profit margins and delivery expectations are razor-thin.

Despite the challenges, Rabbit has already found its stride in Egypt. In just over three years, the app has been used by 1.4 million customers to deliver more than 40 million items. Revenue has surged, growing more than eightfold in the past two years alone.

Also Read: Top E-Commerce Websites In The Middle East In 2025

CEO and Co-Founder Ahmad Yousry commented: “We are delighted to announce Rabbit’s expansion into the Kingdom. We pride ourselves on being a hyperlocal company, bringing our bleeding-edge tech and experience to transform the grocery shopping experience for Saudi households, and delivering the best products – especially local favorites, in just 20 minutes”.

The company’s growth strategy avoids the pitfalls of over-reliance on aggressive discounting. Instead, Rabbit leans on operational efficiency, customer retention, and smart scaling. The approach is paying off, having already attracted major investment from the likes of Lorax Capital Partners, Global Ventures, Raed Ventures, and Beltone Venture Capital, alongside earlier investors such as Global Founders Capital, Goodwater Capital, and Hub71.

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