august 2023 / vol. 1 issue 4 / an ITP Media Group publication How data is redefining the way you explore the world Travel your waywww.edgemiddleeast.com provocative. innovative. insightful. the voice of the digital revolution FOR ENQUIRIES Priyanka Pillai Group Commercial Manager, edge T: +971 4 444 3399 M: +971 52 576 0260 E: priyanka.pillai@itp.com AD_Edge_205x275_Approved.indd 131/07/2023 10:35edge_ august 2023 3 contents august 2023 10 20 14 cover story The data compass Exploring how data-driven insights are reshaping the way we explore the world, one personalised journey at a time 144 edge_august 2023 “Metaverse tourism holds tremendous potential to revolutionise the way we experience and interact with the world” From Page 50 24 other stories Tips: How to harness the power of Threads for your brand A step-by-step guide for brands to con- quer the new social media frontier 34 Gadget Watch 6 amazing gadgets to keep an eye out for 44 Review Dyson Zone 48 contents 30edge_ august 2023 5 editor’s letter PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 (0)4 444 3000 Web: www.itp.com Offi ces in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, London & Mumbai ITP Media Group CEO Ali Akawi Managing Director Alex Reeve Editorial Group Editor Kate-Lynne Wolmarans kate.wolmarans@itp.com Editor Adelle Geronimo +971 4 444 3497 / adelle.geronimo@itp.com Commercial Editor Arya Devi +971 4 444 3175 / arya.devi@itp.com Art Art Director Amjad Ayche Designer Tofi q Memon Advertising Group Commercial Director Anup Nagpurkar +971 4 444 3573 / anup.nagpurkar@itp.com Group Commercial Manager Priyanka Pillai +971 4 444 3399 / priyanka.pillai@itp.com Client Services Manager Cherylann DAbreo +971 4 444 3404 / cherlyann.dabreo@itp.com Photography Chief Photographer Rajesh Raghav Videographer Muhammad Kaleem Video Editor Liju Cheruvathur Multimedia Producer Mina Vucic Group Social Media Manager Andy Ruedas Production Production Manager Denny Kollannoor Production Coordinator Manoj Mahadevan Senior Image Editor Emmalyn Robles Distribution Circulation Executive Rajesh Pillai Distribution Coordinator Avinash Pereira Marketing Director of Events & Marketing Daniel Fewtrell ITP Group CEO Ali Akawi CFO Toby Jay Spencer-Davies Welcome to the latest issue of edge! Our cover story this month takes you on an in-depth exploration of how data and analytics are reshaping the travel landscape. From personalised recommendations to optimised pricing strategies, we uncover how travel companies are leveraging the power of data to enhance experiences for all. Discover how this data-driven revolution is opening up new possibilities for travellers and businesses alike. We also take a look at the rising trend of digital nomadism, where individuals are embracing remote work while exploring the world. We inspect how modern enterprises can take advantage of the rise of this new breed of creatives and workers, helping to tap into global talents to give them a competitive edge. But that’s not all – we set our sights on the stars as we dive into the realm of space tourism. With big players such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic making strides in commercial space travel, we peer into the latest developments, the challenges ahead, and the potential impact on the future of travel beyond our planet. Furthermore, we feature an exclusive interview with CoinFantasy co-founder and CEO Harishkarthik Gunalan who shines a light on blockchain gaming and its exciting implications. Gunalan provides a glimpse into the unique and immersive experiences that Web3 technology can bring to game developers and gamers alike. As always, we bring you thought-provoking expert pieces from industry leaders. One such piece comes from MBZUAI’s Mohammad Yaqub, which delves into the astonishing capabilities of AI in saving human lives. The feature touches on how AI can prevent diseases and provide treatments even before birth, offering a captivating perspective that will undoubtedly leave you contemplating the limitless prospects of the future. With that, safe travels and happy reading! New frontiers Adelle Geronimo editor Published by and © 2023 ITP MEDIA GROUP FZ-LLC The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication, which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review.6 edge_ august 2023 news Sheikh Hamdan launches Dubai Digital Cloud project Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council, has unveiled the Dubai Digital Cloud project aimed at establishing a dynamic and dependable digital infrastructure within the emirate. At its core, the project comprises multiple digital clouds that offer unparalleled flexibility, operational efficiency, and an array of solutions ranging from private to public clouds. By involving various service providers in enhancing services and promoting competitiveness, government entities will benefit from a multitude of options. The Dubai Digital Cloud will be implemented by the Digital Dubai in collaboration with Microsoft and Moro Hub. Moro Hub, a subsidiary of Digital DEWA, will play a crucial role in delivering cloud services through its cutting-edge platform, Moro Cloud. By incorporating global best practices, Moro Hub aims to reduce IT infrastructure costs and facilitate digital transformation through emerging technologies and cloud services. Microsoft and Digital Dubai will work hand in hand to support the project, leveraging Microsoft Azure cloud computing platform. They will provide dedicated platforms specifically tailored for government entities, ensuring the highest standards of security, governance, and compliance. Additionally, the collaboration will extend to a Digital Skills Programme, further strengthening Dubai’s digital ecosystem. Through the project, Digital Dubai will also work to empower government entities with tools, knowledge and best practices. CLOUD news bytes Stay in the loop with the latest news and trends from the tech scene The Dubai Digital Cloud will be implemented by the Digital Dubai in collaboration with Microsoft and Moro Hubedge_august 2023 7 news Global leaders convene to address the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in human life UN Security Council holds first-ever talk on AI AI The United Nations Security Council held its inaugural meeting on the topic of artificial intelligence (AI), addressing the global implications of this transformative technology. During the meeting, various nations expressed their perspectives on AI’s potential benefits and risks. China cautioned against AI becoming an uncontrollable force (“runaway horse”), emphasising the need for responsible regulation to prevent its misuse. The United States echoed these concerns and highlighted the importance of not exploiting AI to suppress or censor individuals. British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, who chaired the meeting, stressed that AI’s impact would be far-reaching, affecting every aspect of human life. He called for urgent global governance to address AI’s borderless nature and explore its potential to combat climate change and drive economic growth. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasised that both military and non- military applications of AI could have profound implications for global peace and security. Russia expressed scepticism about the Security Council’s involvement in discussing AI, suggesting that such discussions should take place on specialised platforms with a focus on scientific expertise and an extended timeline. As of June, crypto scammers have taken in nearly $3.3 billion less in 2023 than they did in 2022 The latest Crypto Crime Midyear Update from Chainalysis shows that cryptocurrency inflows to known illicit entities have declined by a staggering $5.2 billion, which shows a 65 percent decrease compared to the same time last year, while inflows to risky entities such as high-risk exchanges and crypto mixers are down 42 percent. Encouragingly, inflows to illicit addresses are down in nearly every category of crypto crime — from hacks and malware to fraud shops and darknet markets — with the decline in scam revenues being the most significant. As of June, crypto scammers have taken in nearly $3.3 billion less, representing a 77 percent decline in 2023 from 2022, for a total of just over $1.0 billion this year. This decline is impressive given that last year, crypto scam revenues had already dropped by 46 percent. Chainalysis warned that consumers and businesses should remain wary of impersonation scams, in which fraudsters impersonate law enforcement or other kinds of authority figures to extort money from victims as this type of scam only saw a 23 percent decline in inflows. Cryptocurrency crime down 65% year- to-date CYBERSECURITY8 edge_ august 2023 news Report: Saudi Arabia, UAE hospitals put citizens at cyber risks Majority of top hospitals in the UAE and Saudi Arabia are lacking in fundamental cybersecurity measures. As a result, citizens in these regions are at a higher risk of falling victim to email fraud. A new research by Proofpoint identified that 72 percent of the top hospitals in the UAE and Saudi Arabia are lagging behind on basic cybersecurity measures. The study was based on an analysis of Domain- based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) within the top hospitals in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. DMARC is an email validation protocol designed to safeguard domain names against misuse by cybercriminals. It verifies the sender’s identity before allowing a message to reach its intended recipient. DMARC offers three levels of protection – monitor, quarantine, and reject – with reject being the most secure, preventing suspicious emails from reaching the inbox. The analysis uncovered that only 28 percent of hospitals in the UAE and Saudi Arabia have implemented the strictest and recommended level of DMARC protection, known as ‘reject.’ This means that 72 percent of hospitals are not proactively blocking fraudulent emails from reaching users. Furthermore, only 69 percent of UAE hospitals have published a basic DMARC record, indicating that 31 percent are not taking any measures to shield users from potential email fraud. CYBERSECURITY 72% The percentage of top hospitals in UAE and Saudi Arabia that are lagging behind on basic cybersecurity measuresedge_august 2023 9 news Google also introduced several new features to enhance Bard’s accessibility and use Google Bard now available in Arabic AI Google announced the launch of Bard in Arabic, marking the largest expansion of the generative AI tool since its initial release in English earlier this year. Bard aims to unlock users’ creative potential, facilitate idea development and brainstorming, enhance knowledge by exploring diverse perspectives, and increase productivity by simplifying and summarising complex content. Powered by Google’s latest language model, PaLM2, which possesses multilingual comprehension capabilities, Bard can comprehend questions in over 16 Arabic dialects, including Egyptian colloquial Arabic and Saudi colloquial Arabic. It responds in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). Additionally, Bard can handle code-switching, which involves input that combines Arabic with another language. The user interface supports right- to-left script to cater to Arabic speakers. Google also introduced several new features to enhance Bard’s accessibility and usefulness. These include the ability to listen to Bard’s responses audibly, save and organise previous conversations, share Bard’s responses with others through shareable links, export Python code to platforms like Replit and Google Colab for coding support, and integrate Google Lens capabilities for image recognition and analysis (currently available only in English). Meta Platforms’ Twitter rival surpasses 100 million sign-ups faster than ChatGPT Meta Platforms’ newly launched Twitter rival, Threads, has achieved a remarkable milestone, surpassing 100 million sign-ups within just five days of its launch. This growth has dethroned ChatGPT as the fastest-growing online platform to reach this milestone. Threads has been gaining significant traction since its debut, attracting celebrities, politicians, and other notable figures to the platform. Analysts consider Threads as the first genuine threat to Elon Musk’s microblogging app. According to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement on Threads, this surge in user numbers is primarily driven by organic demand, with limited promotional efforts employed thus far. This rapid ascent to 100 million users outpaced the growth of ChatGPT, which became the fastest-growing consumer application in history approximately two months after its launch, as reported by a UBS study conducted in January. Threads reaches 100 million users, dethrones ChatGPT APPSNext >