Middle East is turning around. From a "oil economy" driven by black gold to a data-driven "digital economy," this transformation is accelerating across the region. Countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia have successively introduced crypto-friendly policy frameworks, making them new hotspots in the eyes of global capital.

Projects like Walrus, which focus on privacy storage, see opportunities. They are not blindly expanding but are employing a combination of "policy adaptation + industry cooperation + ecosystem incubation." In simple terms—first obtain licenses, then develop business, and finally build the ecosystem.

Let's look at the policy level first. Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) and Abu Dhabi's Global Market (ADGM) have provided clear rules for crypto service providers. Walrus did not bypass these regulations but actively engaged with regulators, demonstrating technical frameworks and compliance plans, quickly obtaining operational licenses. In Saudi Arabia, it even partnered with the central bank to participate in digital currency pilot programs, gaining recognition through actual projects. This "compliance first, expansion later" approach indeed reduces market risks.

Next, corporate cooperation. Middle Eastern companies are obsessively focused on data security, especially in sensitive industries like oil and finance. Walrus leveraged this trend by launching localized solutions—Arabic interfaces, regional node deployment, compliance audit reports—tailored to local needs. Collaborations with national oil companies have further opened the B2B market.

This is the strategy during the policy window—rather than spending heavily on subsidies, it targets industry needs precisely, using compliance and localization to gain market acceptance. The digital economy dividends in the Middle East are still far from fully tapped.