WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017 starts in the UAE

The official Opening Ceremony of WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017 took place in the capital of the UAE on 14 October. Representatives of 59 countries and regions were present at the Ceremony.

The Ceremony was held at the open-air venue du Arena by the famous Ferrari World Abu Dhabi Theme Park, which was visited today by 10,000 spectators. Hundreds of Competitors took part in a parade of nations, during which all the teams walked through the arena. A performance ‘Progress through Skills’ featured dancers and acrobats, who portrayed the role skills have had in the development of the UAE, and all Competitors and Experts took an oath declaring to respect the Competition rules and Code of Ethics.

The Closing Ceremony and the award ceremony will take place at the same venue on 19 October, where the WorldSkills Flag will be handed to the WorldSkills Kazan 2019 Organising Committee.

The President of WorldSkills, Simon Bartley, thanked the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and the other leaders of the UAE for hosting WorldSkills in the Middle East for the first time.

“Their vision acknowledges that to transform and develop an economy you have to put skills at the very heart of your efforts,” Simon Bartley said.

WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017, the world championships of vocational skills, is held on 14-19 October 2017. About 1,300 Competitors representing 51 skills and more than 1,500 Experts from 59 countries are expected to take part in the event. Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) Exhibition Centre will play stage to WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017.

About 100,000 people are expected to attend including 80,000 school children, and 10,000 international visitors.

During the Competition (15-18 October) the interactive WorldSkills Kazan 2019 exhibition booth will operate. With its area of 190 square metres, it features: national pastries demonstration zone, Kinnect zone, and Young Professionals (WorldSkills Russia) zone.