Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) authorities held a key meeting with the members of steering committee of the 'World Ophthalmology Congress,' which is expected to bring aboout 12,000 delegates to the UAE capital next year.

The World Ophthalmology Congress is the oldest running international medical meeting and the 2012 event will be the first foray into Mena region. It will also represent the largest convention Abu Dhabi has hosted to date.

Presiding over the meeting, Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, ADTA chairman said hosting of the congress at Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre from February 16 to 20, presents the UAE capital with “an unparalleled opportunity to demonstrate Abu Dhabi’s capabilities as a world class convention destination.”

The Host City Steering Committee has been formed to ensure total support for the conference logistics with several organisations working in unison, he noted.

“This will reflect the one-destination approach which earned Abu Dhabi the opportunity to host this important congress,” said Sheikh Sultan.

“Our earnest hope is that we deliver to our utmost capability to encourage many more such conferences to locate here bringing with them enormous economic and strategic benefits,” he added.

The committee includes representatives from the Executive Affairs Authority; the Ministry of the Interior; Department of Transport (DoT) Abu Dhabi; ADNEC; Abu Dhabi Police; Health Authority of Abu Dhabi; Municipality of Abu Dhabi city and Abu Dhabi Airports Company.

Mubarak Al Muhairi, director general, ADTA told the meeting that Abu Dhabi now has enough hotel rooms to be able to cater to large scale conferences and World Ophthalmology 2012 would, in future, be seen as a case study on the emirate’s hosting capabilities.

“We want to deliver the smoothest possible operation as this congress will be a powerful credential going forward as we bid for other large-scale meetings,” he pointed out.

The committee also agreed to establish an ‘organising committee’ comprising representatives from each of their organisations which will initially meet monthly and then fortnightly as the congress draws near.

The congress is sponsored by the International Council of Ophthalmology and organised and hosted by the Middle East and Africa Council of Ophthalmology. It is being supported by ADTA with the full backing of the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi.-TradeArabia News Service