When My Son Walked into Ski Dubai Without Leaving the Sofa

I never thought I’d see the day my son could roam around the Mall of the Emirates or ski down the snowy slopes of Ski Dubai — all without leaving the sofa.

But yesterday, he did. Inside Roblox.

Majid Al Futtaim malls' team reimagined two of its most iconic destinations, Mall of the Emirates and Deira City Centre, on Roblox. It’s not just a marketing stunt — it’s a glimpse into the future. For my son, play and purchase now coexist seamlessly in one virtual ecosystem. For brands, it’s a wake-up call: the next generation doesn’t draw neat lines between the online and offline. They live in a blended world, and they welcome it with big smiles.

When My Son Walked into Ski Dubai Without Leaving the Sofa

Roblox: From Side Project to Cultural Giant

To understand why this collaboration matters, let’s step back. Roblox began in 2003 when two engineers, David Baszucki and Erik Cassel, built a platform where people could imagine, create, and share 3D experiences. By 2006, Roblox was live, quietly attracting a small community of curious builders and gamers.

The growth was steady until the mid-2010s, when things exploded. Between 2016 and 2019, Roblox leapt from 9 million to 90 million monthly users. The pandemic sent it stratospheric: suddenly, half of all kids under 16 in the U.S. were playing, building, and socializing inside Roblox. By 2025, it had grown into a 380-million-user phenomenon with a creator economy generating nearly a billion dollars a year for developers.

This is no longer a game platform. It’s an economy. A culture. A future blueprint of the metaverse in action.

A Parent’s Reflection

Watching my son wander around a digital Ski Dubai gave me pause. It made me realize that the future of customer experience isn’t arriving tomorrow; it’s already here. For today’s kids, digital is not separate — it is life. And brands that lean into that reality, with creativity and courage, will not just be seen. They will be remembered.

So why are companies — from Gucci to Nike to now Mall of the Emirates — rushing to join Roblox?

Because Roblox isn’t about ads. It’s about experiences. In a world where young audiences scroll past banners in milliseconds, Roblox offers immersion. Gucci built a dreamy virtual garden, Sonic sped through his own digital universe, Ikea even hired avatars as virtual staff. These aren’t campaigns, they’re stories you can step inside.

And the audience is irresistible. More than half of Roblox’s users are 16 or younger. This is the next generation of shoppers, decision-makers, and tastemakers. To meet them where they are, brands must be playful, authentic, and willing to blur the lines between entertainment and commerce.

Lessons for Marketers

The Roblox story holds a mirror up to our profession. It reminds us that the future of marketing is not in static campaigns but in living, breathing experiences. This generation doesn’t want to be sold to; they want to be part of the story.

If we create worlds they want to enter, if we merge our brands into their play with authenticity and imagination, we don’t just win attention — we win trust, joy, and long-term loyalty.

A Parent’s Reflection

Watching my son wander around a digital Ski Dubai gave me pause. It made me realize that the future of customer experience isn’t arriving tomorrow; it’s already here. For today’s kids, digital is not separate — it is life. And brands that lean into that reality, with creativity and courage, will not just be seen. They will be remembered.