World •
Abu Dhabi Turned Its Desert Highways Into AR History Lessons
By Syed John
Commuters point phones at dunes and watch holographic caravans overlay their drive.
Driving along Abu Dhabi's E11 now comes with an AR layer. The government released an app that overlays historical caravans, pearl divers, and oil rigs onto the desert as you drive. Think Pokémon Go, but for national narrative.
It's cheesy yet effective. Kids beg to take family road trips, and history teachers assign "field drives" as homework. Tourism boards dream of exporting the concept.
If nations can turn highways into immersive museums, maybe road rage drops. Or maybe we're all one AR update away from billboards screaming at us. For now, I'm enjoying the holographic camels.