Abu Dhabi will host the World Ophthalmology Congress (WOC) 2012, which is expected to attract in excess of 12,000 international delegates.

WOC is the world’s longest running and largest international medical meeting having been established in 1857. The Abu Dhabi event will be the 33rd congress of its type.

Being sponsored by the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO), the WOC 2012 is being hosted in Abu Dhabi by the Middle East African Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO).

The move is being seen as a major coup for the UAE capital and a huge boost to its credentials as a preferred destination for international medical meetings, said a statement.

WOC 2012 will be held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec) in February 2012.

“WOC 2012 will very much be a case of the world’s oldest, and one of its most successful, international medical gatherings convening within the confines of one of the world’s most modern convention complexes to deliver an event of truly world-class standing,” said Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, chairman of Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) and of Adnec.

“It also gives us an unparalleled opportunity to demonstrate Abu Dhabi’s capabilities as a world-class convention destination and its uncompromising approach to delivering unparalleled hospitality,” he said. –TradeArabia News Service