Emirates has announced that it will soon launch non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and branded experiences in the metaverse for employees and customers as the UAE focuses on expanding its digital economy.

The airline also announced that its Emirates Pavilion at the Expo 2020 site will be repurposed into a center for innovation to bring life to the airline’s future-focused projects including those relating to the metaverse, NFTs and Web3.

“Dubai and the UAE are blazing the way in the digital economy, having a clear vision supported by practical policies and regulatory frameworks in areas such as virtual assets, artificial intelligence, and data protection,” HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive, Emirates airline and Group said in a statement.

“Emirates has always embraced advanced technologies to improve our business processes, enhance our customer offering, and enrich our employees’ skills and experiences. We are excited about the opportunities in the digital space of the future and are committing a significant investment in financial and resourcing terms, to develop products and services using advanced technologies that will deliver on revenue, brand experience, and business efficiencies.”

Emirates is the latest airline to venture into the NFT world. In March 2022, Qantas unveiled its plans to venture into the crypto and NFT realm with branded digital art.