Etihad Airways has been announced as the official airline sponsor of WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017 the biggest vocational education and skills excellence event in the world.

The event will bring more than 3,000 competitors and industry experts from up to 75 countries to the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, ADNEC, from 14th to 17th October, 2017.

The 44th edition of the competition will be held in the Middle East for the first time, and it 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 Centre 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.

Mubarak Saeed Al Shamsi, Director-General of ACTVET and the official delegate of the UAE to WorldSkills, said, "We are extremely proud to welcome the world’s greatest skills excellence competition to the Middle East for the first time. WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017 represents our strong commitment to vocational and technological education and training for the young people of the UAE today, helping them build a thriving and diverse economy for the generations of tomorrow. We look forward to working with Etihad Airways to ensure the competition is a resounding success."

Peter Baumgartner, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, said, "It is a great honour to be named as an official partner of such a prestigious competition. Abu Dhabi is a thoroughly modern city, which is fast becoming one of the world’s most exciting commercial and tourism hubs. The event will provide the perfect opportunity for those attending to experience the very best of Arabian hospitality whilst enjoying state-of-the-art facilities and modern infrastructure in a thriving and cosmopolitan city."

Mohammed Al Bulooki, Vice-President of Etihad Airways – UAE Commercial, said, "The competition will provide a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase everything that Abu Dhabi has to offer to leisure and business travellers alike. Abu Dhabi, as a city dedicated to continued investment in the workforce of tomorrow, is the perfect location for the renowned competition. Abu Dhabi looks forward to welcoming participants from across the world to our home city and working with ACTVET and WorldSkills to ensure that the event is a resounding success."

WorldSkills covers a wide range of industries including construction, creative arts and fashion, information and communication technology, manufacturing and engineering, social and personal services and transport.