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Dubai Student Launches Metaverse Real Estate Summit
The entrepreneur secured funding from the Rochester Institute of Technology Dubai and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Smart Learning Program.
Volston Abreo, an electrical engineering and computing student at Rochester Institute of Technology Dubai, is preparing to launch an innovative real estate summit in the metaverse, known as Real Estate Worldscape 2023.
The summit will support education and knowledge sharing, helping boost Dubai’s property market. The event is based around a hyper-realistic “stage” featuring voice and proximity chat systems. Volston developed his idea with funding from RIT Dubai in collaboration with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Smart Learning Program.
Aimed at bringing together global thought leaders and policymakers, Real Estate Worldscape 2023 will host 20 inspirational speakers and offer workshops, panel discussions, and Q&A sessions. Topics at the conference will include real estate, proptech, entrepreneurship and investments.
Explaining the reasoning behind the summit, 21-year-old Volston said, “The inspiration for our virtual stage, Flege, came during the pandemic when we saw the potential of the metaverse in creating an ecosystem where people connect to physical experiences through the virtual world. I decided to focus on the real estate sector to help launch the ecosystem because it is one of the most established industries here, yet it has been slow in the uptake of innovation. I wanted to change the mindset of people in the business, to show the value of bringing technology into the sector”.
The summit will also feature a simulation that takes delegates back to 2012 when Dubai was still recovering from the global financial crisis. Participants will “enter a digital twin of Dubai where their goal is to achieve cashflow by analyzing market trends and making sound decisions to buy and sell properties at the right time and from the right place,” Volston explained.
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Volston is already part of Dubai’s Silicon Oasis, with his own office and a team of seven employees. The student entrepreneur says his sights are firmly set on building a decentralized digital ecosystem despite not yet having graduated from RIT Dubai.
The Real Estate Worldscape 2023 will take place later this month.
News
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.
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.
Rabbit Expands Hyperlocal Delivery Service In Saudi Arabia
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