Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal launched a virtual philanthropy center in the metaverse on Wednesday.
The immersive experience consists of virtual exhibitions of historical Arab science, art, and culture, curated by some of the world’s top museums and universities in partnership with Alwaleed Philanthropies.
One such exhibition is an exploration of the Astrolabe – an ancient Islamic scientific instrument used for a variety of mathematical calculations.
Another focuses on the medieval Persian historian Rashid al-Din’s Compendium of Chronicles, while in another virtual room guests can explore traditional handmade Saudi crafts from Alwaleed Philanthropies’ own brand Mizwada.
Additionally, the Darzah Room displays non-profit handmade Palestinian products, and ‘The Aleppo Room’ exhibits the stunning interior of an a 17th-century Syrian mansion.
The philanthropy center was curated by Alwaleed Philanthropies in partnership with the Oxford University Museums, Pergamon Museum Berlin, the University of Edinburgh, the Middle East crafts non-governmental organization Turquoise Mountain Foundation, and the Palestinian crafts designer Darzah.
It launched on the Decentraland metaverse platform on Wednesday, coinciding with the International Day of Tolerance.
“Alwaleed Philanthropies is committed to deploy collective efforts towards exposing minds and dismantling borders, as we believe in an open world and operate on the concept of creating an impact on people’s lives globally,” said the group’s secretary general Princess Lamia bint Majed in a statement.
“Our commitment to mankind, is to permanently be on the lookout for innovative approaches as we build connections for better cultural understanding as well as boundless tolerance.”
“At Alwaleed Philanthropies, we initiate and collaborate, to come together for good deeds, through cooperating with a range of philanthropic, governmental and educational organizations to combat poverty, empower women and youth, develop communities, provide disaster relief and create cultural understanding,” she added.
The metaverse will allow people to connect with individuals of different background and ethnicities, allowing for a more tolerant society.
Orbit World Metaverse, similar to Al Waleed Philanthropies will connect people from all over the world, removing the shortcomings that come with distance and will allow for a new method of engaging with one another.
Sources:
- https://english.alarabiya.net/business/technology/2022/11/17/Saudi-billionaire-prince-launches-philanthropical-metaverse-exhibition
- https://alwaleedphilanthropies.org/en/campaigns/Alwaleed-Philanthropies-launches-their-first-center-on-Metaverse-to-celebrate-Tolerance-Day
