Peaq and Pulsar Launch UAE’s First Machine Economy Free Zone

I've written before about how exciting innovations seem to pop up every other week in the MENA region—but, well... I mean, this one really caught my attention. Peaq, a leading company in Machine Economy tech, has joined forces with Pulsar Group, an Emirati venture studio and blockchain consulting firm. Together, they're kicking off what's being billed as the first-ever Machine Economy Free Zone (MEFZ) in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Intriguing stuff, right?

If you're scratching your head right now wondering what exactly a "Machine Economy" is, don't worry, you're far from alone. Basically, it involves an ecosystem where machines—think robots, automated vehicles, advanced infrastructure and the like—directly create and distribute value, with humans benefiting in the process. Sounds a bit sci-fi, I know, but it's rapidly becoming reality. And believe it or not, the UAE might be shaping this innovative vision as we speak.

MEFZ is designed as a kind of sandbox—a controlled environment to experiment with ideas and see what sticks. The initiative has four central pillars, two of which caught my eye especially. First, they've got something called "Machine Tokenisation," which basically allows ordinary people to invest—and ideally, benefit financially—from more expensive robots and high-tech gear through a decentralised financial platform. Pretty spot on, I'd say, for getting average folks looped into what could otherwise be an exclusive, techie club.

Then, and here’s the bit I'm certainly most intrigued about: there's "Universal Basic Ownership" (UBO). Instead of the government-run "Universal Basic Income" that everyone always argues about, UBO directly ties your income to profits generated by these autonomous machines, skipping out the middlemen entirely. In other words, robots—yes, robots—creating income streams to help communities tackle job losses caused by automation. Sounds ambitious, but worth a shot if you ask me.

Peaq has already decided to set up its headquarters in the UAE, which I reckon shows their seriousness in establishing the Emirates as an epicentre of blockchain and smart-city innovation. Just last month, Peaq and Pulsar hosted what they called "Machine Economy Days" in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Events saw several decentralised applications (or DePINs, to savvy insiders) demonstrate their tech in operation in front of quite distinguished crowds, including Sheikh Zayed bin Suroor Al Nahyan and experts from Microsoft, Careem, and key Emirati governmental bodies.

Alyazi Al Khattal, CEO of Pulsar, spoke enthusiastically about this partnership, describing it as "more than technology—it's a movement." And Till Wendler, one of Peaq's co-founders, sees UAE as "the perfect place" to pilot such visionary—and, let's face it, slightly futuristic—ideas.

As someone closely following the startup scene, well done isn't enough to say about such ventures pushing innovation forward across the MENA region. Exploring bold, untested ideas is never easy, but I think we can be quietly optimistic when it comes to MEFZ and how it could soon empower not only the Emirati startup community but also ordinary people in a powerful, practical way. It's initiatives like this I reckon Arageek readers across the region will watch closely, curious about what happens next on UAE's startup journey.

Watch this space, I suppose—and stay tuned to see if the Machines realy can deliver on their promises.

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