Abu Dhabi has been selected as the host destination for the next edition of the prestigious International Council of Nurses Congress.   
This world-renowned event, held every four years, recently concluded in Barcelona, Spain, where the UAE capital was announced as the preferred destination for the 2021 congress. 

Organised by the International Council of Nurses (ICN), the 2021 edition will be hosted by the Emirates Nursing Association (ENA) and supported by Abu Dhabi Convention Bureau, a division of Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) and Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC). It is expected that the Congress will bring more than 6,000 delegates to the emirate, with the event being hosted at ADNEC.  
“Our strategy for tourism growth will lead to a 4% GDP contribution by 2021, and as part of this we are targeting a growth of 7% in the meetings and conference sector” , said HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Director General of TCA Abu Dhabi. “Abu Dhabi currently attracts 2.2 million business visitors a year and is targeting growth of 5-7% by 2021, with targets to grow this to three million business visitors by 2021.
“As part of this growth we have identified medical tourism as one of our key specialist markets to fulfill our ambitions and attracting meetings and events of associations like this is fundamental to our vision”.  

 “We are delighted that the International Council of Nurses has chosen Abu Dhabi as the next host city for their Congress. The hosting of this event further underpins the emirate’s ambitions to become a regional hub for medical excellence.”
Founded in 1899, ICN is the world’s first and widest reaching international organisation for health professionals, a federation of more than 130 national nurses associations representing millions of nurses worldwide. Operated by nurses and taking the lead with nursing on the international stage, ICN works to ensure quality nursing care for all and sound health policies globally.

Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, ADNEC Group CEO, said: “We are excited to welcome the International Council of Nurses to ADNEC in 2021. Securing this prestigious congress is another milestone in our continued journey to establish ourselves as the Middle East business tourism capital. This win is a perfect example of ADNEC and Team Abu Dhabi’s approach. This starts with understanding international associations’ needs when considering their first major event in the Middle East, and most importantly bringing together the relevant stakeholders and partners, on behalf of the client, to ensure the success of the Congress.”

Previous editions of the Congress have been held in such prominent cities as Melbourne, Australia, Durban in South Africa, Taipei, Taiwan, Copenhagen, Denmark and Vancouver, Canada. 

“ICN looks forward to holding our 2012 Congress in Abu Dhabi, our first major Congress in the Middle East,” said Dr Frances Hughes, Chief Executive Officer of the International Council of Nurses.  “We thank the Emirates Nursing Association for all they have done to make this possible and encourage all our members to join us there.”
Aysha Al Mehri, President of the Emirates Nursing Association commented: “We are pleased to have been selected as the host of the ICN Congress in 2021.  Bringing the congress to Abu Dhabi will have a tremendous impact on the ENA and the nursing profession both locally in the UAE and the wider region.  

“We are extremely grateful to the Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Health, Health Authority Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi Health Services Company for their support as this was critical in securing this congress for the emirate”.   

Dr. Fatima Al Rifai, ENA founder and board member, and recently elected member of the board of Directors of ICN, said: “Hosting a congress of this stature in Abu Dhabi will provide local nurses with unrivalled access to first rate continuing education and networking opportunities.  It will promote the nurses’ role in the healthcare delivery and will strengthen nurses’ visibility and image.”
In the past year Abu Dhabi has secured further conferences which are expected to attract a large number of delegates from the medical sector, including the hosting of the International Conference in Medicine & the Healthcare Professions–Ottawa Conferences in 2018, the FIP World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences for 2019, and the Congress of the World Union of Wound Healing Societies in 2020.