Late last year, a survey found that NFT ownership in the UAE is twice the global average, with 23% of respondents from the country owning at least one token. Set to become a global crypto hub, Dubai is home to the world’s first agency for digital Islamic art NFTs. In its 15th year, the Art Dubai exhibition also rolled out a platform dedicated to digital art in the region.

Now the UAE-based blockchain firm Bedu has bolstered its place in the creative realm with its second curated art drop. This project features the work of nine artists revolving around the theme of the colonization of Mars. Each artist contributed two art pieces, and those with a single artwork provided open edition tokens that allow unlimited minting for a limited time.

The line-up included French artist and filmmaker Thomas Dubois, who created Outer Space and Mars Pearl artworks. He was joined by Kurdish digital artist Kurdish Kaiwan Shaban and artist Ben Bachau who explores realms of the unconscious. The list also includes Marcel Deneuve, Rui Huang, Stefan Große Halbuer, Reza Afshar, Marchiek Wolanski, and Alon Kartin, with diverse backgrounds, including game development and data science. The Outer Space by Dubois will also be airdropped to its collectors for free.

Bedu had also recently launched UAENFT Keypass, a membership scheme for the NFT community. “We value this artistic expression, and the latest drop reflects our commitment to championing their creative freedom in the new frontier of Web3,” said Al Zarouni, Chief Executive Officer, Bedu.