Abu Dhabi to host WOC in 2012

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

-Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, will be the site of the World Ophthalmology Congress (WOC) meeting in February 2012. The meeting, to be held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, will be sponsored by the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) and hosted by the Middle East African Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO). The event is expected to attract more than 12,000 international delegates.

“The move to the Middle East and Africa represents a significant outreach for ICO, which has traditionally opted for more conventional venues within the Americas, Europe, and Asia,” said Bruce Spivey, MD, ICO president. “We are delivering a strong message to our colleagues in the Middle East and Africa that their specific concerns are also ours-an approach which is firmly in line with the WOC’s mission of contributing to the progress of ophthalmology by stimulating discussion among professionals involved in this rapidly advancing scientific and medical discipline.”

The city was chosen as the 2012 venue following a collaborative bid that featured stakeholders from throughout the emirate.

“The over-riding factor in Abu Dhabi’s selection was its total destination approach in which various government organizations came together to produce what can only be described as an impressive, consolidated, and convincing bid,” said Prince Abdulaziz Bin Ahmad Al Saud, chairman of MEACO and a member of the ICO Foundation Board of Directors.