The noble values of the Emirate of Sharjah have been brought even closer to children and young adults in the UAE following yesterday’s (Wednesday) launch of the new edition of ‘Sharjah Land’ - an augmented reality gaming experience conceived and developed by Sharjah Department of eGovernment (DeG).

Unveiled at University of Sharjah, the updated version of Sharjah Land features enhanced graphics, increased interactive capabilities and a brand new character for players to engage with. The new application, which can be downloaded onto smart devices, has been released to further instil positive values in the youth of the UAE by enabling players to interact with Sharjah Land’s team of superheroes who work together to create a positive and fulfilling society.  

The most significant development in the new edition of Sharjah Land sees a new character ‘Captain’ - a police officer who has been introduced to reinforce the message of maintaining law and order and the need to create a safe and secure community through good citizenship. Captain joins the game’s existing four characters ‘Viro,’ ‘Tina,’ ‘Noman’ and ‘Unity,’ who each represent a pillar of Sharjah’s society and a set of Sharjah government departments.

“The new version of Sharjah Land further extends DeG’s message about the importance of having a cohesive society based on strong core values. We are delighted to be able to introduce our new character Captain, who represents the Sharjah Police department and who works to uphold justice, team-working, courtesy, integrity, loyalty and social responsibility. Captain’s mission is to work effectively towards enhancing the quality of life for everyone he meets in Sharjah Land,” said Sheikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Director General of DeG.

Viro, Tina, Noman Unity - and now Captain - live in Sharjah Land, an interactive digital environment based on the Emirate of Sharjah. The virtual reality world possesses the same contours and features as Sharjah and each of the characters has to use their unique set of powers to stop the influence of a robot that was designed in the 1950s. Stuck in the past, the robot tries to stop the land developing and moving forwards.  

In Sharjah Land, Viro is responsible for culture, history and the environment; Tina enhances connectivity between its residents; Noman seeks to achieve growth in its vital sectors and Unitiy strives to create for it the best models of education, health, and social services. Now with their new colleague Captain, the quintet collaborates to building a bright, smart and sustainable future for their world.

The Sharjah Land new edition launch event was hosted in the presence of His Excellency Sheikh Salem Bin Abdul Rahman Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Ruler’s Office; His Excellency Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Director General of DeG; His Excellency Brigadier Abdullah Mubarak bin Amer, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Sharjah Police; His Excellency Ahmed Mohammed Al Jarwan, Secretary General of the Sharjah Advisory Council and a number of high level executives from Sharjah government entities.

The event saw DeG host a series of activities for attendees, including plays from its storyline, a video presentation of the game and a number of fun workshops designed to highlight its main themes. One of the sessions encouraged children’s creativity, and enabled them the technical expertise to create their own robots using ‘Arduino’ technology. Another session involved them working with one of Sharjah Land’s five characters to improve their world. They were asked to write their stories and send them into DeG, which will publish them within its Sharjah Land universe.

Noor Ali Al Noman, Director of DeG and creator of Sharjah Land, interacted with approximately 200 children at the university’s theatre who had attended from Sharjah’s schools. She introduced the five of superhero characters in costume to the stage and stood alongside them to answer questions from the young audience members. A number of ‘real-life heroes’ - members of Sharjah Police Department – were also on hand to see their virtual representative join the existing four Sharjah Land characters and to speak to the youngsters present.

Sharjah Land is the first virtual reality game of its kind developed by a government entity in Sharjah and encourages children to use their creativity to interact with its five main characters. Those playing the game challenge one another through performing good deeds, with the rewards being digital coins or tokens that can be redeemed in the virtual world.

“DeG will continue to update Sharjah Land with new editions just as the emirate itself is growing and expanding. The innovative digital platform allows children to enjoy the gaming experience while at the same time learn about civic responsibilities. It enables government departments in Sharjah to deliver messages aimed at children indirectly through the heroes of the game, which constitutes a big step forward in the way the government communicates with this important segment of society,” added Al Qasimi.

Sharjah Land forms part of DeG’s strategy of contributing to building a knowledge-based society through providing excellence in smart information technology services. The department seeks to support the growth of economic, social and cultural affairs in the emirate to achieve sustainable development in the UAE. In order to attain its goals, DeG works in collaboration with other government departments to elevate its functions in the pursuit of transparency and corporate governance.