Ophthalmology conference opens on Thursday

The 33rd annual World Ophthalmology Congress 2012 (WOC 2012), the largest congress ever to convene in Abu Dhabi, will get underway on Thursday, February 16, with more than 10,000 delegrates expected to attend the conference.

Held under the patronage of General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, WOC 2012 will run at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec) from February 16 to 20. The congress has attracted over 10,000 registered delegates so far and the organisers are expecting 12,000 registered delegates from 136 countries, said Dr. Abdulaziz AlRajhi, President of WOC 2012.

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), USA (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 program 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 and organizations 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 the Middle East Africa Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO).

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