Dubai Emirati entrepreneurs Alia Al Abbar, 26 and Hind Al Marri, 28, believe in the power of people. Their non-traditional approach as much as the name of their company leave many wondering about their focus on making a difference to societies everywhere.
With modern technologies changing the rules of the game and leading us into the future, the space for creativity is endless. Together, both entrepreneurs are participating in the Dubai Future Week with Blah Art Productions, which uses virtual reality technologies, in collaboration with their partner Khosouf Studio, to create a VR game that is set for launch next year.
It comes as no surprise that a unique name must coincide with a unique way of doing business. Alia and Hind believe in the exchange of experiences rather than traditional payment methods, in a system they refer to as “trading talent by talent”.
To paint a better picture, the ladies of Blah collaborated with opera singer Wim-Hoste who made an introductory video about the innovative company on social media in exchange for Blah producing a film about the singer that is set to debut in cinemas next month. Reflecting on the experience, Alia said: “You don’t have to give us money to gain our support. Wim literally just shook our hands, and the rest is history. We do it like the ancient traders used to do business: without the signing of formal contracts.”
At Dubai Future Week, the ladies are exhibiting the first virtual reality film game, Stratum Corneum. Leveraging a new way of applying technology, the game allows the viewer to watch and play at the same time. When asked about the purpose of the game, Hind says: “With Stratum Corneum, we are showcasing both a tourism and entertainment project, and our government is fully supportive of it. We really have no excuse to not take leaps of faith.”
The project reflects their shared vision of what the future of entertainment will be.
While the game being exhibited at Dubai Future Week is only five minutes long, the first level of the full game can take two or three days to finish, and the field remains open to produce other multiple levels of the game.
They sum up with a smile: “Truly, we believe in people from all walks of life. We know that with the right tools, they can make a positive impact on the world and future generations to come.”
