More than 12,000 registered delegates from 136 countries are expected to take part in the upcoming World Ophthalmology Congress 2012 (WOC 2012) in Abu Dhabi, organisers said.

The 33rd edition of WOC, the largest congress ever to convene in the UAE capital, gets underway on February 16 and will run until February 20 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

Saudi Arabia leads the top five countries with the highest number of contingents at 572 delegates followed by the UAE (412 delegates), Germany (406 delegates), US (404 delegates) and India (400 delegates).

This is the first time the WOC has been hosted in the Middle East or Africa and it brings together a truly international audience to explore insights into the latest ophthalmology technologies and trends.

At WOC 2012, eye-health industry experts will discuss the latest innovations in curing and preventing blindness.

The congress will host an extensive scientific programme with over 2,200 international speakers talking about new techniques, trends and technology in the eye-health industry. 

Over 175 local, regional and international ophthalmic companies will showcase the latest innovations in the field of ophthalmology and related products and services at an industry exhibition running alongside the Congress.

WOC 2012 is being hosted and organized by the Middle East Africa Council of Ophthalmology (Meaco), which represents the national and sub regional ophthalmological societies in Africa and the Middle East including Turkey and Iran.

The WOC2012 represents the 33rd International Congress of Ophthalmology of the ICO and it is jointly organized with the 12th International Congress of Meaco. – TradeArabia News Service