Seventeen Emiratis to represent UAE at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 under ACTVET leadership
Led by the Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ACTVET), a 17-strong EmiratesSkills delegation will contest 16 technical and vocational disciplines at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, 22–27 September.
The Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ACTVET) will lead the EmiratesSkills delegation to the 48th WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai, People’s Republic of China, scheduled for 22–27 September 2026. The UAE will be represented by 17 young Emirati competitors who will challenge for honours across 16 technical and vocational skills on a global stage.
A global stage for craft and competence
WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 is expected to assemble roughly 1,400 competitors from 73 countries and regions, who will contest 64 skills. The biennial event is the pre-eminent international forum for technical and vocational education and training, offering participants a concentrated arena in which to test their practical expertise, exchange best practice and benchmark national training systems against the highest global standards.
Emiratesskills: systematic talent development
His Excellency Dr Mubarak Saeed Al Shamsi, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, underscored the national significance of the team’s participation, saying:
“The EmiratesSkills team’s participation in this global competition reflects the vision of the UAE’s wise leadership to invest in Emirati youth and empower them with advanced skills that strengthen their readiness for the future and their ability to compete globally. “As we head from Abu Dhabi to Shanghai, we do so with great national ambition and strong confidence in the ability of Emirati youth to represent the UAE with distinction on one of the world’s most important skills platforms. At ACTVET, we have built an integrated system to identify national talent, develop their capabilities, and prepare them according to the highest international standards, enabling them to compete and excel in advanced technical and vocational fields.
“The participation of our young men and women across 16 skills is an important opportunity to showcase the advanced capabilities of Emirati talent, gain valuable international experience, and compete alongside the world’s best young talents. We are confident that our team members will represent the UAE with pride and responsibility, reflecting the ambition of our nation’s youth and their determination to achieve excellence and leadership.”
Two decades of building a skills ecosystem
The EmiratesSkills programme marks 20 years of concerted effort to cultivate a national ecosystem for identifying and nurturing technical talent. ACTVET’s approach combines talent scouting, intensive skills training and exposure to international benchmarks — preparing participants to meet the rigorous demands of global competition in advanced trades and technologies.
Members of the EmiratesSkills team undergo targeted preparation programmes designed to sharpen their technical and practical capabilities and to familiarise them with the standards and procedures of WorldSkills contests. The experience offers participants professional development, international networks and the chance to translate vocational excellence into career opportunities at home and abroad.
As the delegation departs for Shanghai, the campaign embodies the UAE’s broader strategy to elevate vocational education and place practical skills at the heart of economic and social development. Competing on this stage is both a test of individual mastery and a measure of national investment in human capital.