By Duane Fonseca
Dubai Racing Club (DRC) became the world’s first racing jurisdiction to embrace the metaverse Sunday as it launched the Dubai Verse Cup, a metaverse-based gaming platform in conjunction with DVCC Meta Technology. The project is in line with the Dubai Metaverse Strategy, launched by HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and chairman of Dubai Executive Council, which aims to turn Dubai into one of the world’s top ten metaverse economies and a global hub for the metaverse community.
Dubai Metaverse Strategy aims to build on Dubai’s achievement of attracting more than 1,000 companies in the fields of blockchain and metaverse. It also promotes Dubai’s ambitions to support more than 40,000 virtual jobs by 2030, which would further boost the city’s economy and support the UAE government’s vision of increasing the number of blockchain companies by five times the present number. DVCC Meta Technology are the DRC’s exclusive technology partner in the project and have developed the gaming platform, which will be powered by the real world of Thoroughbred racing.
The launch coincided with a seven race domestic meeting at Meydan Racecourse Sunday evening that was also sponsored by DVCC Meta Technology. In a press note issued ahead of the launch, Sheikh Rashid bin Dalmook Al Maktoum, chairman of the Dubai Racing Club, was quoted as saying: “Dubai is a future focused city with an emphasis on innovation and technology thanks to the leadership of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who has always enabled Dubai to push beyond the limits.
“HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed recently approved the Dubai Metaverse Strategy to boost the digital economy and introduce measures to empower the use of the metaverse and other futuristic technologies. “We at DRC are keen to embrace the vision and mindset of this great city and its leadership and are always on the lookout for ways to enhance the experience of our racing fans.
“We have worked with our partners on the revolutionary Dubai Verse Cup, the first of its kind metaverse horse racing game based on the most spectacular race in the world, the Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse. We aim to introduce the new generation to this exciting sport through this unique metaverse based game.
"Our aim was to create a platform that appeals to our current horse racing fans while building a new community of racing enthusiasts.” Speaking to Adiyat Racing Plus, Major General Dr Mohammed Essa Al Adhab, board member and director general of Dubai Racing Club and Dubai Equestrian Club, said: “Dubai is a city focused on innovation and technology and thanks to the leadership of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, we have always pushed the limits further.
“We believe this is a step in the right direction towards embracing the future and in Dubai we’ve always been interested in leading the way forward and towards innovation. This is the future and we want to welcome the wider audience to racing and give them a feel of our world.”
A REAL FEEL EXPERIENCE
The Dubai Verse Cup will allow users to immerse themselves seamlessly in horse racing scenes and experience the tension and stimulation of the sport using their smartphones and VR/AR devices. Owners of the DVC’s digital assets, such as synthetic horse NFTs, can track their development as they race and breed, earning tokens based on their performance.
Players may create or join a ‘family’ to participate in collective activities and earn rewards to enjoy an affluent metaverse lifestyle. “It is our honour to partner with Dubai Racing Club to deliver a state of the art metaverse game that will expand to, hopefully, become the ultimate Dubai characteristic metaverse lifestyle for global users,” said Vincent Shi, CEO of DVCC Meta Technology.
“The metaverse platform uses blockchain technologies and a play to earn model, allowing users to enjoy the futuristic setting of the Meydan Racecourse while indulging in multiplayer track races. Winners earn rewards such as trophies and tokens, which can be exchanged for NFTs."
