Virtual Reality (VR), a technology that provides “unlimited or 360 degree view” of any object, will soon be in Qatar.
Young Qatari entrepreneur Sheikh Jassim bin Abdulrahman bin Ahmed bin Mohamed al-Thani has already set up a virtual reality company ViSR VR,  a joint Qatari-British venture.
Leading software giants such as Google, Microsoft and entertainment leader Walt Disney are already the clients of the company. The firm also created the virtual reality headsets for the London premiere of the new Star Wars movie, ‘The Force Awakens’.
Speaking to Gulf Times, Sheikh Jassim said, “This concept aligns with the Qatar National Vision 2030 to make Qatar a knowledge-based economy. Virtual Reality is a marketing tool. This can be used in any business such as real estate, exhibitions, automotive, finance, property development, travel and many more.”
He continued,“We have a range of headsets and we make an app, which can show computer generated images (CGI) in the Virtual Reality ecosystem.This gives a 360 degree vision of the object. Last year, we sold more than 25,000 headsets to Google.”
The software is developed in the UK and the headsets are generally produced in China, added the official.
Sheikh Jassim explained  that ViSR VR offers complete VR solution for individuals or businesses. “They can include it within their marketing, promotional, health & safety initiatives or training programmes. From expert consultancy on how to integrate VR, to content creation — in CGI or filmed — to the creation of VR Apps and branded headsets, our USP is to make VR easy for the clients,” he observed.
Sheikh Jassim pointed out that the 2022 Football World Cup in Qatar can be a great opportunity for the spectators to make use of the VR experience and watch the games. He explained “With cameras on the football ground, we can experience the game in a 360-degree view by looking through the headset.The spectator needs to put on the headset, open the app on the phone and watch the game in 360 degrees. We are still to talk to the officials of the tournament in this regard. ”
“We are not looking for profit in Qatar. I aim to bring this technology to my own country and help the businesses. We are looking at different sectors.We will start negotiations and very soon Virtual Reality will be in Doha.” he noted.
“We already have many new opportunities coming our way on a daily basis.These cover a range of sectors including finance, property development, travelling and the visitor economy and entertainment.The world of Virtual Reality is here and I am proud that Qatar is playing such a pivotal role in this regard.”
The Virtual Reality is  predicted to be an $8bn market sector before the end of 2017.