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Dubai Is Set To Become A Metaverse & Blockchain Hub
The city has already established itself as the global capital of Web 3.0, hosting a vast array of metaverse and blockchain technology and startups.
Having already adopted a comprehensive “Metaverse Strategy“, Dubai has made rapid progress as a smart city of the future, using a carefully crafted regulatory framework to attract innovation and talent to its modern, tech-central environment.
Although the metaverse — a blockchain-based virtual world — is still in its early stages of development, it promises to deliver massive potential for millions of users over the coming years, shaking up the entire world’s economy and online culture.
The global market share of the metaverse is thought to have the potential to reach $1.6 trillion by 2030, with tech giants such as Facebook, Google, and Nvidia heavily invested in Web 3.0 development. For that reason, the UAE is already aiming to be a market leader, with over 1,000 metaverse-related companies headquartered in the region.
“From retail shopping to healthcare and manufacturing, the metaverse is becoming pervasive in countless industries. It is transforming industries by expediting virtual operations seamlessly and offering business opportunities for investors,” says Pratik Rawal, Managing Partner, Ascent Partners.
Also Read: Everdome Announces First-Ever Metaverse Soundtrack
Dubai’s strategy aims to funnel $4 billion of the UAE’s GDP into related projects over the next five years, bringing an estimated 40,000 virtual jobs to the metaverse by 2030. Augmented reality and blockchain projects currently bring over $500 million to UAE’s economy, with the Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC) accounting for a sizable portion of that figure.
As the metaverse builds into a thriving, heavily populated augmented-reality world, Dubai and the whole of the UAE will be poised to become the epicenter of this advanced technological revolution, bringing all of the benefits of blockchain, cryptocurrency, and augmented reality to the everyday lives of users worldwide.
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LUVED Is A New Curated Preloved Marketplace For The UAE
Sellers keep 100 percent of every sale and AI can build a listing in five seconds — though the app’s smartest tools are still coming.
Secondhand shopping has become mainstream in the UAE, but the experience is still scattered across resale sites, social media and informal group chats. LUVED, a mobile-first marketplace that launched in Dubai this month, is betting it can pull that activity into one place — and that the thing buyers and sellers actually want is not more inventory, but trust.
The app trades in what it calls circular luxury: preloved fashion and lifestyle pieces across men’s, women’s and children’s categories, bought, sold or given away peer to peer. Its main pitch is economics, with sellers keeping 100 percent of every sale under a zero-commission, fast payout model, while buyers are promised vetted pieces at lower prices.
Where LUVED is staking its reputation is verification. Sellers pass a KYC check, and items run through a two-layer authentication system powered by Entrupy that pairs instant AI screening with human expert review for high-value pieces. Authenticity certificates travel with each item, payments sit in escrow, and a buyer-protection package the company calls The Safety Net adds a 48-hour return window and dispute resolution. Door-to-door logistics removes the in-person meetups that make most resale deals awkward.
An in-app assistant called Luvbot — offering selling insights and demand-based recommendations — is soon to be introduced to the platform. Other features include autofill and dynamic pricing that lets users build a listing in as little as five seconds from three photos, plus a swipe-based feed, story-style drops and in-app chat in English and Arabic. Finally, a gifting layer, Luved & Gifted, lets users pass items to others inside the app rather than sell them.
Also Read: Logitech’s New Folding Mouse Is Designed For Work On The Go
“After moving to Dubai, I saw how difficult it was to sell or even give things away,” says founder and CEO Shaima Sibtain. The friction is real, and so is the competition. In resale, trust is won transaction by transaction — and that is the test LUVED has set itself.
The app is live on the App Store now, with Google Play to follow. The company also plans to expand across the region, which will be the real test for a marketplace staking everything on trust.
