WorldSkills 2017 kicks off in UAE capital

World
Europe

The 44th WorldSkills Competition, the world’s largest vocational education and skill excellence event, kicked off in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Saturday.

WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017 has drawn 1,300 competitors from across the world to compete in 51 different skills, ranging from 3D digital game art to hairdressing, cooking to welding.

This year’s event, scheduled from October 15 to 19, started with a spectacular opening ceremony at the du Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi with 10,000 attendees. All teams from almost 60 WorldSkills member countries and regions paraded through the arena. There were also music and dance performances.

The opening ceremony of WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017 /Photo via worldskillsabudhabi2017.com

"WorldSkills is fast becoming the 'must-be-at event' to debate and shape skills around the world," addressed Simon Bartley, president of WorldSkills International, at the ceremony. He also encouraged contestants to carry forward the spirit of fair competition and team collaboration, and share this experience with others while fully enjoying the competition.

China has participated in the event three times since it joined WorldSkills International in October 2010. For this year’s event, China has sent 52 contestants, its largest team ever, consisting of eight females and 44 males with the average age of less than 21 years old. They will compete in 47 competitions in six categories.

The screenshot shows part of the competitions. /Screenshot via worldskillsabudhabi2017.com

Dating back to 1950, the biennial WorldSkills is a global event for young people to demonstrate their vocational skills in competition as a way of promoting skill exchanges, experiences and technological innovations among young professionals.

China’s Shanghai has won the bid to host the 46th WorldSkills Competition in 2021 after Russia's Kazan in 2019.

5970km