The Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) will host the WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017 - the biggest vocational education and skills excellence event in the world. Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, becomes the official airline sponsor of the event.
WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017, which will take place from 14 to 17 October 2017, will bring more than 3,000 competitors and industry experts from up to 75 countries to Abu Dhabi.
The 44th edition of the competition will represent the first time that the event has been held in the Middle East and will be the largest and most complex event to be hosted at the ADNEC in the lead up to Expo 2020 Dubai.
WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017, which will be hosted by the Abu Dhabi Center for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ACTVET), aims to increase the prestige of vocational careers by challenging young people to become the best in the skill of their choice. The competition is a major coup for Abu Dhabi as the emirate continues to transition into a diversified knowledge-based economy in line with the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030.
The WorldSkills participants represent the best of their peers and are selected from skill competitions in member countries and regions across the globe. Almost 2,300 participants and experts took part in the 2015 edition of the competition which was held in Sao Paolo, Brazil, whilst thousands more visited the six-day event. Other host cities in recent years have included Leipzig, London and Calgary.
