Setting the stage for WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017

The countdown to the world’s largest celebration of vocational education and skills excellence has begun in the capital of the UAE.

The Middle East will welcome the 44th WorldSkills Competition – the world championships of skills, which showcases the trades that drive progress and prosperity – for the first time when it is staged in Abu Dhabi from 14-19 October this year.

WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017 will be the culmination of years of planning. It will be one of the largest and most complex events ever to be held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), and is an unprecedented opportunity for the youth of the UAE and the region to demonstrate their dedication to developing skills.

The Competition curtain raiser, Competition Preparation Week (CPW), is underway and it has drawn more than 400 participants from more than 50 WorldSkills Member countries and regions to Abu Dhabi. Through meetings, seminars, and venue tours, they are getting a glimpse of what WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017 will bring to the region, and what it will mean for a new generation of achievers and thought-leaders.

Ali Al Marzouqi, the President of EmiratesSkills, the Member host for WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017, said the event will have an extra-special impact. “I have been with WorldSkills since the 2003 event in St Gallen in Switzerland, as an Expert – I really enjoyed it then, and I am delighted to have everyone involved in our capital city, Abu Dhabi, in 2017. It is a privilege to host the Competition Preparation Week in Abu Dhabi and, of course, having WorldSkills here is like a dream for us.” 

“The main goal for us, in Abu Dhabi, is to really lift the profile of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET),” said Mr Al Marzouqi. “[We want] to increase the level of achievement in this country, and for parents and the Competitors to understand how important it is for them to achieve a higher level of TVET, in preparation for the post-oil age. We want to prepare people to work in any of these skills.”

He also sees WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017 as a platform to promote Abu Dhabi to the world. “As a destination city, we want the delegates to know how great this country is, with its excellent facilities and amazing variety.”

“And for us, this Competition is extra-special because it is the first time that WorldSkills will be in the MENA region. I think a lot of people will really enjoy WorldSkills, because we have invited a lot of people from around the region for them to really understand what WorldSkills is.”

“To know what the Competition is, you have to see it yourself.”

 The host venue, the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, ADNEC, is the largest exhibition venue in the Middle East with 73,000 square metres of live event space over 12 interconnected halls, a visitor concourse, and an atrium.

The Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) hosts more than 100 events every year, with around 1.8 million visitors. According to Mr Al Marzouqi, it’s the ideal base for a Competition with global reach and global relevance.

“[The] Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre is in the middle of Abu Dhabi, so visitors can reach most places within 25 minutes,” he said. “It also has an unbelievable structure, is surrounded by several hotels, and has several more within a kilometer, making it perfect for visiting delegates, Experts and others. It is definitely a five-star venue.”

“In this way, Abu Dhabi is unique. It is a hopping-point, and easy to get to, for people from across the world and within the UAE. Location and setting are very important for us, and it reinforces our belief that the Abu Dhabi edition of WorldSkills will be the best yet.”

Of course, a Competition of the scale and scope of WorldSkills requires intricate preparations. As Andrew Murfitt, head of the technical department for WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017, explains, pulling it together is a herculean feat.

“Physically, when we start the arrangements, it probably takes 12-14 days,” he said.”But in terms of the preparation [it is] almost three years.”

“That’s mainly because there is so much equipment and material required for the Competition and in need of being set up, so we need to negotiate with people and ask if they can lend us something and we will do the same in return. There is a lot of groundwork that we need to do before an event like this can happen and we can physically start building on site.”

“This is what Competition Preparation Week is all about – it allows us to ask ourselves what we need for each of the 51 WorldSkills Competitions, right down to the last nut, bolt, and screw, the last bag of flour, the last haircare product, or whatever is needed to be able to deliver WorldSkills.”

Making WorldSkills happen requires an army of people with their own set of skills and expertise, and they received recognition at CPW, as David Hoey, the CEO of WorldSkills International, told them: “To our Chief Experts, Deputy Chief Experts, Competition Managers, Workshop Managers, Sector Managers, a sincere thank you." 

“We know that most of you do this above and beyond your paid job or occupation, and that is something that is often underestimated. We understand and recognize that  WorldSkills has grown so much over the past decade, and it’s the unsung heroes like you who are doing the work to make the Competition happen. It is this that has grown our brand value and proposition with our stakeholders around the world.”

Already, more than 1,300 Competitors and a similar number of experts have registered for WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017.  60 member countries will be represented at the Competition and during the Opening and Closing ceremonies at the DU Arena. So far, the skills areas which have received the most registered interest from Competitors are Cooking (44 Competitors) and Mechatronics (39). 

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