Abdullah Nasser AlSabahi strives to safeguard Yemen's abundant cultural legacy by harnessing the potential of virtual and augmented reality as potent instruments for conservation and education. Discover how his fervour paves the way for new opportunities for future generations.
The animation industry has seen significant growth in recent years due to the increasing demand for animated content across multiple platforms, including streaming services as well as the growing popularity of video games. The industry is estimated to be worth over $270 billion by 2025, with Asia-Pacific being the largest market.
The industry has also seen significant technological advancements, with 3D animation and virtual reality becoming increasingly common. And no one understands this better than Abdullah Nasser AlSabahi, an alumnus, 2D/3D Artist and multi-award-winning animation director.
“As an art director for some major companies around the world, I’ve directed three short animated films that won many nominations and two awards as the best animated short film in 2020 and 2021,” says the Yemenite.
He also established the yemenvr.com project to protect Yemen’s civilisation through virtual and augmented reality technology and authored a computer tutorial book for beginners.
It is a project with virtual reality and augmented reality technology as the first of its kind to protect the historical heritage of Yemen and preserve archaeological sites using virtual and augmented reality technology.
How? By modelling historical sites and artefacts to preserve their sustainability, documenting Yemeni civilisation from attempts to obliterate and lose artefacts and preventing them from being sold in international auctions and museums.
“This project aims to help restore artefacts that were destroyed as a result of wars and conflicts by designing digital models and taking advantage of artificial intelligence technology that will make it possible to restore them,” he says.
“It will also contribute to archiving Yemeni civilisation for future generations, preserving it digitally, and raising awareness of its protection and preservation,” Nasser adds. The project got attention from many important international media, such as the Al-Jazeera channel, Al-Hurra channel and many news sites.
The Limkokwing University alumnus studied BA in Animation, which enhanced his animation and 3D modelling skills. As part of his coursework, he directed an animated short film as a graduation project that won many awards in international film festivals.
