Burj Khalifa is teaming up with HTC Vive and Dubai Future Accelerators, an initiative of Dubai Future Foundation, to further business opportunities within the VR ecosystem across the Middle East and Africa.
As part of the collaboration, VR developers across the MEA region and internationally are invited to participate in a one-of-a-kind competition to build world-class VR content themed around the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower.
The VR experience that ultimately wins the competition will also go on Viveport – the leading app library for VR content powered by HTC Vive and accessible to Vive users globally.
Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of Dubai Future Foundation, said, “In line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Dubai Future Foundation aims to create and environment which encourages and welcomes innovation and creative thinkers to further position Dubai as a hub for innovation and a testbed for emerging technologies. He further added, having Dubai Future Accelerators support this initiative and challenge is a testament to our ongoing efforts of attracting global talents and fostering a collaborative ecosystem.
Participants will get exclusive access to Burj Khalifa premises and stunning high-definition footage of the building itself. Dubai Future Accelerators will also offer access to an incubator center and fully set-up VR hub situated at Area 2071, as well as office workspaces, throughout the project.
HTC Vive is the VR partner for the programme, and its latest premium VR system the Vive Pro will be the official VR device for the competition. Furthermore, HTC Vive will assist developers with full tech support, expertise, and mentoring throughout the competition.
Ramit Harisinghani, VP and head of Middle East & Africa at HTC Vive, said, “Today VR is being embraced across industries—and at a government level—for its ability to unleash human imagination in entirely new ways. Strategic content and brand partnerships are helping to bring more exciting VR experiences to the mainstream, as is evident in this latest developer competition. We are committed to developing the VR ecosystem and proud to pioneer original platforms for developers to conceptualise, build and commercialise their VR ideas.”
The competition will be done in three phases. Participants will first be asked to submit their profile and previous VR content app samples. The second phase will involve a shortlist of competitors who are then challenged to develop a storyboard of their big idea. The competition will conclude by the spring of 2019 in which a final winner will be selected among the competitive submissions and given the chance to bring their vision to life.
Application submission for the competition can be made by individuals and groups from the UAE and internationally at the following link.
