Gaming platform Roblox is making a significant push into the Middle East with the launch of Arabic-language support, a move designed to make it more accessible to millions of users in the region.
The announcement, made on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit in Dubai, is part of Roblox’s broader strategy to expand globally amid a boom in the creator economy.
Speaking to The National at the event, Roblox chief executive David Baszucki described the initiative as a major step in bridging cultural and linguistic gaps.
“We feel it's so big. We want to really bring people together around the world. Our mission is to connect the world with optimism and civility,” Mr Baszucki said.
With the new language update, users and parents can now interact with the app in Arabic, making it more inclusive for a wider audience.
“Parents who might even want to play with their [children] on our platform can use our Roblox app in either English or Arabic,” Mr Baszucki explained.
Beyond accessibility, Roblox is actively investing in local content creation and digital entrepreneurship.
The company reported that from 2021 to September last year, its impact on the gross domestic product of the Mena region (including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco and Qatar) was $15 million. With projected growth of 20 per cent or more next year, the platform aims to expand economic opportunities for creators in the region.
“One could infer more and more people making a living on our platform, literally people who are part of this digital economy, and we think it's growing very rapidly,” Mr Baszucki said.
Roblox’s creator ecosystem has more than 50,000 developers in the UAE alone. Some of these creators have already achieved financial success.
“We have a clothing designer in the UAE who has done over $30 million in sales of clothing on Roblox. We have a coder in Roblox who's working on an experience that's been visited over a billion times,” he revealed.
In a key development for UAE users, Mr Baszucki also confirmed that Roblox is now accessible in the country without the need for a VPN, indicating wider availability and acceptance in the region.
“I was playing with Roblox in my hotel room just locally, complimenting the internet speed of UAE,” he said.
The platform also offers more than just gaming, with digital experiences covering 3D shopping environments, educational simulations and virtual concerts. Last year, Roblox generated more than $4 billion in revenue, Mr Baszucki said.
“What we see happening on Roblox is, sometimes, for young people it's more interesting to build a game than to learn computer science, but when people build games on Roblox, they're actually learning computer science,” he said.
AI-powered content moderation
As user-generated content expands, Roblox is strengthening its AI-driven safety tools.
“Behind the scenes, over the last four years, we developed over 200 AI models that power all of our safety systems, complemented with great humans doing it as well. Every image on our platform, every communication goes through AI systems,” Mr Baszucki said.
One of Roblox’s most notable advancements is its AI-powered voice moderation tool, which has been open-sourced for wider industry use.
“Our voice model that we've trained ourselves, built ourselves, to keep voice safe on the platform … we've open-sourced it, and over 20,000 people are using it,” he said.
Additionally, Roblox has joined the Roost Consortium, partnering with major tech companies like Google and OpenAI to further develop AI-powered moderation tools.
Looking ahead, generative AI will play a larger role in enhancing experiences on the platform.
“So you'll be able to build a Roblox place, prompt AI to bring to life a famous character, and you and I will be able to learn history from that character,” Mr Baszucki said.
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Gender equality in the workplace still 200 years away
It will take centuries to achieve gender parity in workplaces around the globe, according to a December report from the World Economic Forum.
The WEF study said there had been some improvements in wage equality in 2018 compared to 2017, when the global gender gap widened for the first time in a decade.
But it warned that these were offset by declining representation of women in politics, coupled with greater inequality in their access to health and education.
At current rates, the global gender gap across a range of areas will not close for another 108 years, while it is expected to take 202 years to close the workplace gap, WEF found.
The Geneva-based organisation's annual report tracked disparities between the sexes in 149 countries across four areas: education, health, economic opportunity and political empowerment.
After years of advances in education, health and political representation, women registered setbacks in all three areas this year, WEF said.
Only in the area of economic opportunity did the gender gap narrow somewhat, although there is not much to celebrate, with the global wage gap narrowing to nearly 51 per cent.
And the number of women in leadership roles has risen to 34 per cent globally, WEF said.
At the same time, the report showed there are now proportionately fewer women than men participating in the workforce, suggesting that automation is having a disproportionate impact on jobs traditionally performed by women.
And women are significantly under-represented in growing areas of employment that require science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills, WEF said.
* Agence France Presse
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
The national orchestra
MATCH INFO
Maratha Arabians 107-8 (10 ovs)
Lyth 21, Lynn 20, McClenaghan 20 no
Qalandars 60-4 (10 ovs)
Malan 32 no, McClenaghan 2-9
Maratha Arabians win by 47 runs
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The specs: 2018 Maxus T60
Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder
Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm
Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km
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Rating: 4/5
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NYBL PROFILE
Company name: Nybl
Date started: November 2018
Founder: Noor Alnahhas, Michael LeTan, Hafsa Yazdni, Sufyaan Abdul Haseeb, Waleed Rifaat, Mohammed Shono
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Software Technology / Artificial Intelligence
Initial investment: $500,000
Funding round: Series B (raising $5m)
Partners/Incubators: Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 4, Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 6, AI Venture Labs Cohort 1, Microsoft Scale-up
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Teri%20Baaton%20Mein%20Aisa%20Uljha%20Jiya
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TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
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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
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7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,000m
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Winner: Al Sail, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
History's medical milestones
1799 - First small pox vaccine administered
1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery
1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases
1895 - Discovery of x-rays
1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time
1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin
1953 - Structure of DNA discovered
1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place
1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill
1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.
1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out
Tomorrow 2021
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
MATCH INFO
Uefa Nations League
League A, Group 4
Spain v England, 10.45pm (UAE)
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Credit Score explained
What is a credit score?
In the UAE your credit score is a number generated by the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), which represents your credit worthiness – in other words, your risk of defaulting on any debt repayments. In this country, the number is between 300 and 900. A low score indicates a higher risk of default, while a high score indicates you are a lower risk.
Why is it important?
Financial institutions will use it to decide whether or not you are a credit risk. Those with better scores may also receive preferential interest rates or terms on products such as loans, credit cards and mortgages.
How is it calculated?
The AECB collects information on your payment behaviour from banks as well as utilitiy and telecoms providers.
How can I improve my score?
By paying your bills on time and not missing any repayments, particularly your loan, credit card and mortgage payments. It is also wise to limit the number of credit card and loan applications you make and to reduce your outstanding balances.
How do I know if my score is low or high?
By checking it. Visit one of AECB’s Customer Happiness Centres with an original and valid Emirates ID, passport copy and valid email address. Liv. customers can also access the score directly from the banking app.
How much does it cost?
A credit report costs Dh100 while a report with the score included costs Dh150. Those only wanting the credit score pay Dh60. VAT is payable on top.
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Where to buy and try:
Nutritional yeast
Bulletproof coffee
Amasake
Charcoal drinks and dishes
Various juice bars, including Comptoir 102
Jackfruit
Supermarkets across the UAE
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
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The five pillars of Islam
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
IF YOU GO
The flights
FlyDubai flies direct from Dubai to Skopje in five hours from Dh1,314 return including taxes. Hourly buses from Skopje to Ohrid take three hours.
The tours
English-speaking guided tours of Ohrid town and the surrounding area are organised by Cultura 365; these cost €90 (Dh386) for a one-day trip including driver and guide and €100 a day (Dh429) for two people.
The hotels
Villa St Sofija in the old town of Ohrid, twin room from $54 (Dh198) a night.
St Naum Monastery, on the lake 30km south of Ohrid town, has updated its pilgrims' quarters into a modern 3-star hotel, with rooms overlooking the monastery courtyard and lake. Double room from $60 (Dh 220) a night.
Saudi National Day
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