The well-known online gaming platform Minecraft has been used to reproduce notable landmarks all throughout the UAE.

UAE landmarks, from the eye-catching sail of the Burj Al Arab hotel to the gold-topped domes of the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, have been incorporated into video games that engage students in immersive learning experiences in disciplines like history, physics, and mathematics.

Ahmed Ashour, education director at Microsoft UAE, said that it is still quite new in the region. They have created a complete UAE world with all the iconic structures, including the Burj Khalifa, Burj Al Arab, and The Palm Jumeirah so that students could visit these locations in Dubai as well as the ones in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Umm Al Quwain and created more elements around them. Ashour also commented that with the Minecraft education edition, they are giving access to teachers to go within and create lessons within this interactive world.

The Microsoft-owned game has millions of users who pile up blocks and zoom through vintage images. They can create new planets, battle monsters, or study the universe, biology, or human anatomy.  In the United Arab Emirates, the Ministry of Education accepted the Minecraft education edition as a part of the curriculum in public schools more than three years ago.

In Abu Dhabi, sixth-grade teacher Nayla Al Ali noted that students were becoming more eager to tour the well-known structures. She said that children often take on challenges, such as placing animals in a desert so they can determine whether the creatures will survive. Some people are interested in learning more about creating an energy-efficient car.  She added that students like doing things such as moving bricks to learn about the construction of the Burj Khalifa.

Mindcraft was equally successful at Expo 2020 Dubai. With more than a million downloads of Expo Minecraft, which replicated the entire site, from country pavilions to main attractions, Mr. Ashour added that they held the Expo 2020 in Minecraft because, at the time of the pandemic, they were aware that many people would not be able to go there. However, having access to the virtual world meant that kids could walk through it and visit every pavilion from every nation.  The national landmarks of the United Arab Emirates were the first in the area to be included in the education edition.