Emirati citizen Khaled Saleh Basahl won the ‘Abu Dhabi Award’ for his outstanding performance in the WorldSkills Asia competition, scoring the highest among all participants from 30 countries, who showcased their skills in 28 technical and technological areas.
Dr. Mubarak Saeed Al Shamsi, Director-General of the Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ACTVET) and the founder and president of the WorldSkills Asia Organisation, presented the award to Basahl.
The Emirates Skills team also achieved a historic feat by winning 13 medals, including seven golds, two bronzes, and four excellence medals for the first time.
The closing ceremony of WorldSkills Asia Abu Dhabi 2023, hosted by ACTVET from 27th to 29th November, unveiled the winners of the event’s second edition. The ceremony, held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), was attended by delegates from 30 countries across Asia, Europe, North America, Africa and Australia.
The medals were awarded to the winners d
uring a celebration attended by several officials and delegations from the UAE and around the world.
In his speech, Dr. Al Shamsi said, ‘I would like to begin by expressing our sincere gratitude to the country that hosted this global event, and to its wise leadership for their warm welcome, generosity, and support. We are also honoured to have H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, as the patron of the competition, who provided us with the best facilities, technology, and organisation to achieve our objectives. One of these objectives is to showcase the new skills that the WorldSkills Asia Organisation has introduced to the world, which can shape the future of nations.’
The results of the second edition of the competition crown the considerable international efforts of the UAE, the WorldSkills Asia Organisation, and the participating countries in a harmonious and integrated manner to give young people real opportunities to experience an exceptional competitive environ
ment, which was achieved during the competitions of its second edition, he added.
Eng. Ali Mohammed Al Marzouqi, President of Emirates Skills at ACTVET, congratulated the UAE’s youth for winning 13 medals at the global event, stating they have a good chance of joining the team that will represent the country at the WorldSkills competition in Lyon, France, in 2024.
The preparations for the next edition of the global competition have already begun, he added, expressing his pride in the Emirates Skills team of juniors, who secured four medals, including two golds in electronics and engineering drawing and two excellence medals in self-propelled robots and electrical connections.
The Emirates Skills team won seven gold medals in skills such as self-propelled robots, car technology, health and social care, computer-aided machining, car painting, electronics, and engineering drawing, as well as two bronze medals in electrical connections and engineering drawing, and four excellence medals in welding, graphic des
ign techniques, electrical connections, and self-propelled robots, he further added.
The winners from the Emirates Skills team are candidates to join the team representing the country in WorldSkills Lyon 2024. The team has adopted a preparation plan, and the Asian competition is part of this plan, which aims to continuously improve the capabilities and skills of the Emirati youth.
Source: Emirates News Agency