Microsoft announced the launch of its HoloLens 2 headset in the UAE, as it aims to help organisations benefit from integrating mixed reality into their operations while promoting sustainability.
The latest smart glasses were developed to save significant costs, reduce energy consumption and operational emissions, the world's biggest software company said.
The HoloLens 2 headset caters to “thousands” of major companies globally in critical industries such as manufacturing, construction, health care, retail and education, Microsoft said.
The smart glasses will help customers across industries to “unlock new ways of working”, while accelerating innovation, generating new revenue streams and creating new value for their businesses, Ihsan Anabtawi, chief operating officer and chief marketing officer of Microsoft UAE, told The National on Wednesday.
“We are confident that enterprises in the UAE and beyond will leverage it to accelerate their digital transformation journeys and contribute to sustainable economic growth by innovating with confidence and collaborating without boundaries.”
Mixed reality is the means by which elements of both the physical and virtual worlds are integrated. While not new, its popularity continues to grow as several industries increasingly depend on the technology and more use cases are brought up to harness its potential.
Other major companies becoming increasingly involved in further developing the market include Facebook parent Meta Platforms, which unveiled four prototype headsets last month, and iPhone-maker Apple, whose board of directors was reportedly presented with its own version in May.
Currently, the most significant driver of the market is the emergence of the metaverse, the digital space in which people are represented by avatars — three-dimensional representations of themselves — and can interact in virtual worlds.
It is part of Web3, the next evolutionary step of the internet, with blockchain, decentralisation, openness and greater user utility among its core components.
“As we shift to the next computing paradigm, Microsoft is excited to upskill every business and every developer to build secure, collaborative metaverse experiences using best-in-class hardware, intelligent cloud services and cross-platform tools,” said Ksenia Ternavskykh, mixed reality product marketing lead at Microsoft Middle East and Africa.
“By starting with mixed reality, organisations can derive significant and quantifiable impact today and build necessary capabilities to be ready for the future.”
The value of the global mixed reality market is expected to hit about $2.5 billion by 2028, a more than seven-fold leap from $331.4 million in 2021, at a compound annual growth rate of about 29 per cent, according to data from India-based research company Valuates Reports.
Dubai also announced two major initiatives on the metaverse this week — the Dubai Metaverse Strategy, which aims to add $4bn into the economy and create more than 40,000 jobs, and the Dubai Metaverse Assembly, an industry event that is scheduled to take place in September.
The HoloLens 2, which is initially available for enterprise customers, is backed by Microsoft's Dynamics 365 business applications portfolio, which offers more than 200 applications provided by the company's partner ecosystem and the Azure cloud platform.
WIDE%20VIEW
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Microsoft set up its first cloud data centres in the UAE in 2019, in partnership with Abu Dhabi telecoms operator etisalat by e&.
“HoloLens 2 will act as a business catalyst and empower partners to create new value, increase revenue and improve customer relationships by offering mixed reality capabilities,” Microsoft said.
The integration of the HoloLens 2 into business operations has significant potential impact, offering a 177 per cent return on investment over three years, according to a Microsoft-commissioned study conducted by Massachusetts-based research company Forrester.
The launch of the Microsoft HoloLens 2 in the UAE comes as part of our efforts to empower customers across industries to unlock new ways of working, accelerating innovation, generating new revenue streams and creating new value for their businesses
Ihsan Anabtawi,
chief operating officer and chief marketing officer of Microsoft UAE
Benefits vary by industry. Using the HoloLens, US aerospace company Lockheed Martin was able to increase efficiency by 90 per cent, while the Minnesota state's Department of Transportation was able to save about $4m in costs, according to data collated by Microsoft.
In addition, the device can help to improve employee health and safety, business continuity, as well as customer experience and outcomes, the report showed.
For the workforce, using the HoloLens enhanced training and task efficiency, which in turn saved up to $2.1m in labour costs, Microsoft said.
The original HoloLens was released in 2016 and was the first head-mounted display that ran the Windows Mixed Reality platform.
Its tracking technology is based on Kinect, the motion sensor accessory for Microsoft's Xbox game console that was introduced in 2010.
There are a number of options for the HoloLens 2. Aside from the standard model, there are versions for application development to heavy-duty industrial use, with prices ranging from $3,500 to $5,200, according to its website.
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
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Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
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HOW TO WATCH
Facebook: TheNationalNews
Twitter: @thenationalnews
Instagram: @thenationalnews.com
TikTok: @thenationalnews
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
THREE
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
RESULTS
5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner: Samau Xmnsor, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Ottoman, Szczepan Mazur, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Sharkh, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 85,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Yaraa, Fernando Jara, Majed Al Jahouri
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Maaly Al Reef, Bernardo Pinheiro, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: Jinjal, Fabrice Veron, Ahmed Al Shemaili
8pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: Al Sail, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
The%20specs
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile
Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
MATCH INFO
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 1', Kane 8' & 16') West Ham United 3 (Balbuena 82', Sanchez og 85', Lanzini 90' 4)
Man of the match Harry Kane
WIDE%20VIEW
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