As part of its sponsorship of the 44 Edition of the WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, TRA, has announced its active participation in the world’s leading event in the field of skills’ support and vocational competition. The event is being held for the first time in the Middle East, and runs until 18th October, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

The participation of the TRA is in line with the body's efforts in developing national cadres, increasing the competitive and innovation spirit among the youth of the nation, and supporting leading competitions by competing in the category of technical skills.

Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, TRA Director-General, said, "TRA sponsorship of this major international event is in line with its efforts in enhancing innovation, raising the name of the UAE in international forums, and reaching international leading positions in various fields, particularly in ICT."

He added that the hosting of this international competition in the UAE is a clear indication of the UAE’s global leadership position in the field of youth enabling.

Al Mansoori emphasised that supporting national cadres is among the TRA’s top priorities, in line with the wise leadership's directives and approach to invest in people.

During its participation in WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017, the TRA will be presenting innovative projects launched by the Centre of Digital Innovation, CoDI, most importantly, the ‘Our Future’ project, which enables students to learn about the reality of work in the professions they intend to occupy in the future after their university study. This is achieved by using virtual reality applications and simulation of work environment, to enable them to make their decisions in the light of a realistic vision.

Additionally, TRA features projects that were implemented during the TRA Innovation Camp 2017 by students of all ages and levels, in support of smart transformation, designed to achieve the innovation strategy of the UAE.

During its participation, the TRA registered competitors via the SmartPass service, and informed them about the importance of registration for easy access to government services. The service received great demand from participants who registered directly using their ID card. TRA will continue to provide this service throughout the days of the competition.

The competition is being held at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre with the participation of 77 countries, and around 1,300 competitors, of which 1,000 are from other countries, competing in 51 categories. The event is expected to receive more than 80,000 visiting students from across the country, bringing the total number of competition visitors to more than 100,000.