Latest news with #XTechnology
Khaleej Times
15 hours ago
- Health
- Khaleej Times
How this UAE-based VR tech helps cancer patients regain mental strength
For many cancer patients, the hardest part begins when treatment ends. The pain may linger, but it's the psychological toll — the fear, the anxiety, the loss of direction, that often proves more enduring. A UAE-based startup, X-Technology, is now offering a form of support that doesn't come in a pill or a counselling session, but through a virtual reality headset. "We don't work with cancer, we work with the psyche," says Nargiz Noimann-Zander, the founder of X-Technology. "We don't treat the diagnosis. We help with what the diagnosis does to a person's emotional state." Through immersive VR-based exercises, the system invites users to externalise and confront their fears. Wearing a headset, the user is transported in one of their games into a galactic scene where two spheres float in space. The instruction is simple but surreal: place the same fear inside both spheres using only your mind. Then, focus until the spheres collide in an explosion of virtual stardust. "You need to try to hold the fear inside each sphere and make them come closer," David, CTO of X-Technology and Nargiz's son explains. "When they come close, you see a flow. That means you're on the right track. It's all mind-driven." A new frontier in emotional support Nargiz has spent over 25 years at the intersection of psychology, neuroscience, and technology. A certified expert in psychosomatics, coaching, NLP and clinical psychology, she began experimenting with tech-based therapy as far back as 1997. Her motivation was deeply personal. "One of my sons had serious heart issues when he was a child, and that's when I started looking into using computer games as a gentle way to support healing," she shared in the interview. That moment marked the beginning of what would become decades of innovation in psychotechnology. "Our story began long before the X-Technology brand was born," she says. "Back in 1997, we founded the Health Centre — a space where doctors, psychologists, and neuroscientists came together to find gentle, science-backed ways to help people heal." Between 1999 and 2003, her team focused on biofeedback-based methods to better understand psychophysiological states. From 2003 to 2009, they started experimenting with computer games not as entertainment, but as tools for emotional and cognitive support. "On modest Pentium systems, we built the very first prototypes of game-based interventions," she recalls. The concept matured from 2009 to 2017 as they combined gaming with biofeedback and real patient experience. In 2017, the transition to VR opened new doors, offering deeply immersive, personalised environments for therapy and recovery. By 2019, AI, virtual assistants, and digital twins became part of the equation. Today, the result is a platform that is being used in clinics, educational settings, and corporate wellness programmes around the world. Importantly, the devices are not connected to the internet. "We're very worried about the data," David says. "We don't connect to Wi-Fi or the cloud. Everything is stored offline inside the headset. I don't want anybody to know what's happening in my brain." Tackling the emotional aftermath of illness Professor Sam Abuomar, Director of the Artificial Intelligence Master's Programme at Lewis University and a visiting professor at the American University of Sharjah, is currently leading a study on the impact of X-Technology's platform on patients undergoing cancer recovery and those with chronic illnesses. "The VR experience has a positive impact because it emulates certain emotional states or past experiences," he explains. "Especially for high-risk patients — those with conditions like cancer or those undergoing chemotherapy — this type of immersive support can improve their emotional and psychological well-being." The mental skills it targets include memory, emotion, and trauma processing. In one future iteration, the system might be tailored to mimic a user's past experiences — working in a factory, being with family — to evoke comforting familiarity. "In our literature review, we came across about 15 studies conducted between 2020 and 2025," says Abuomar. "All of them showed promising results. For example, a 2023 Cleveland Clinic study on 52 cancer patients using interactive therapeutic VR reported significant reduction in depression. Another European study in 2025 on surgical patients found a significant reduction in intraoperative pain." Although their current study is in early stages, Abuomar and his students have begun testing with a sample of 10 patients. Their goal is to compare results between traditional therapy and VR-based support. "If this proves successful, it could be a big step for this kind of tech-based mental health intervention," he adds. Real users, real effects Maria Efimova, 34, a clinical psychologist based in Moscow, has been using the headset for more than two years. She was one of the first to experiment with early versions of the system and now incorporates it into her own practice. "The benefits have been tremendous," she says. "I've seen a significant reduction in anxiety, fears of public speaking, and constant worrying. When I face health-related stress or even physical pain, this is the first thing I turn to. It's like having a coach on call.' Efimova uses two main programmes: one for dissolving fears and another for working with body-related projections. "My mother uses them too. I often recommend it to my clients. Even after one session, I feel less tension and more calmness." A deeply personal mission For Nargiz, the journey is about more than just innovation — it's about restoring humanity to healing. In addition to leading international research centres and authoring nine books, she is also the mother of eight children and grandmother of three. "When future technologies meet a deep understanding of human consciousness, we access a whole new level of self-awareness and possibility," she says. Her mission is clear: to merge science and technology with empathy, helping people across the world not just survive illness, but rebuild emotionally and psychologically. "It's not about fighting the disease. It's about helping people face what it does to their mind and soul - and giving them the tools to rise again."
The National
20-05-2025
- Business
- The National
My Dubai Salary: ‘I earn up to Dh80,000 a month to support my eight children'
Nargiz Noimann, a 53-year-old Russian living in the UAE, has been saving diligently since the age of 30 to support her big family. Ms Noimann, who has eight children and three grandchildren, spends most of her monthly income on her children's education and to fulfil family needs. She is the founder and chief executive of health technology company, X Technology, which offers virtual reality and artificial intelligence-driven solutions for cancer recovery, dementia care and emotional rehabilitation. The solutions are being piloted in hospitals and wellness centres across the UAE. Ms Noimann, who travels between Dubai and Abu Dhabi because her children go to school in the UAE capital, has been living in the Emirates for the past two years. 'I plan to move all my assets to Dubai soon because I believe this is where my business will succeed the most and it offers the most potential for growth,' she says. Ms Noimann has a degree in clinical psychology, a master's degree in business administration from Prague and certifications in AI and VR. She has built a self-funded business with no loans or external investors. I started working as a psychologist 25 years ago and my monthly salary was about $3,000. I was self-employed. My business was operational in Russia, Latin America and Kazakhstan. I earn between Dh60,000 ($16,337) and Dh80,000 per month, depending on my start-up's revenue. My start-up makes an income of approximately between Dh300,000 and Dh500,000 per month. Besides spending on life's necessities, my main expenses are on my children. I spend most of my money on their education, plus investments into my company. I prioritise spending on meaningful experiences and personal development. This includes travel with purpose, advanced professional education and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I also support charitable initiatives focused on mental health and education. Savings is an essential part of my life because I have eight children. Since the age of 30, I've been saving 10 per cent of my monthly income and investing into my kids, technology and myself. We have a financial consultant in our family who helps with investments. My main investments are in real estate in Russia and the US. I also plan to invest in property in Dubai very soon. Plus, I also invest a lot into my business. I only take a small portion of the company revenue for my personal use and for my family. I don't have any loans or credit cards, but I think they are great if you treat them as an instrument to invest into your business. My business is fully self-funded. I come from a family background where we didn't have much money growing up, so I never inherited anything. But my parents, who worked as engineers in a factory in Russia, imparted good education and I have passed that on to my children as well. No, my parents or school didn't teach me a lot when it comes to money management. But when I finished chores, my parents gave me pocket money. I don't really plan to retire. I treat my business as a job, it gives me energy to live and a reason to smile every day. So, I don't really think about retirement or saving for retirement because I plan to capitalise on my business even when I stop working. Yes, I've had an emergency fund for more than 20 years and it can easily sustain my family and me for two years. In the short term, my financial goal is to increase my personal monthly cash flow by 30 per cent, purchase a property in the UAE and build a solid financial reserve to prepare for larger investment opportunities and financial security. My long-term financial goals – in the next five to 10 years – are to own a portfolio of three to four rental properties generating consistent passive income and grow my total personal investment capital to Dh10 million, combining real estate assets, financial market investments and select venture opportunities. I also want to establish reliable passive income streams sufficient to fully cover living expenses and achieve long-term financial independence and dedicate a portion of my investment returns to supporting social initiatives focused on mental health and education. Instead of focusing solely on saving, I prefer to invest in assets that preserve and grow value over time. This includes carefully selected real estate investments, long-term financial instruments and equity investments in healthcare technologies. Real estate offers both security and the potential for steady income. Financial freedom means having the ability to choose how I spend my time and energy without being limited by financial constraints. It's about having the resources to support projects that make a meaningful impact and being able to prioritise personal well-being and family when needed.
