Hamed bin Zayed inaugurates third edition of the Award Winning Abu Dhabi

Held 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 third edition of the Abu Dhabi Science Festival (ADSF) was inaugurated today by H.H. Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chief of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's Court. ADSF 2013, organized by the Abu Dhabi Technology Development Committee (TDC), opened its doors to a full capacity with audience, crowds of amazed children and adults delighted by the vast array of the spectacular shows, workshops and exhibits. The Festival will run over 10 days from November 14-23rd in its exciting new locations at the du Forum Yas Island and the Abu Dhabi Corniche (East Plaza), as well as satellite venues around the country. The Festival is one of TDC s several strategic initiatives specifically dedicated to the education, engagement and inspiration of the nation s youth, encouraging them to pursue education and careers in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI). TDC actively champions the development of a talented human capital in the UAE, to help realize the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, and works with a number of strategic partners to ignite a passion for science within the UAE youth that will help create the leading scientists and technologists of tomorrow. Mohammad Ahmad Al Bowardi, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Technology Development Committee said: "Abu Dhabi is committed to building a knowledge-based economy and Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) are vital to achieve this objective. Our main goal is to develop and nurture a talented STI base. The Abu Dhabi Science Festival is one of TDC s key strategic initiatives dedicated to engaging the younger generation and encouraging them to pursue careers in STI." Ahmed Saeed Al Calily, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Technology Development Committee added: "We have built on the success of previous editions to produce the best Festival to date by enriching content, expanding reach, extending partnerships at a regional and local level and making ADSF 2013 accessible to more youth across the UAE. Through such science based initiatives we set to influence our students of today and motivate them to assume productive roles in the future." The Festival is hugely popular with schools, and as witnessed today with hundreds of school children excitedly arriving through the doors as part of the school tour program organized with the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC), the Festival s Education Partner. Last year over 20,000 students attended and an expected 25% increase is expected in 2013. Dr. Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) said: "Our aim is to empower students with knowledge and provide them with the world s best educational practices. The Abu Dhabi Science Festival (ASDF) succeeds on all levels; it educates and inspires, providing the perfect launching platform for students to become passionate towards science, technology and innovation. Our children are the foundation of our country and through educational initiatives such as the ADSF; we proudly anticipate the full realization of their potential." Year on year, ADSF continues in growing dramatically with 150,000 visitors expected to visit ADSF 2013, up an impressive 30% on 2012 s attendance. To maintain the success and to capitalize on hosting the largest event of its kind in the GCC, every effort has been made to enrich the experiences on offer. The Abu Dhabi Technology Development Committee (TDC) engaged in partnerships with some of the UAE s leading local organizations including: National Electronic Security Authority (NESA), Dolphin Energy, the Tourism and Cultural Authority (TCA), Emirates Nuclear Energy Corp (ENEC) and the Imperial College London Diabetes Centre (ICDLC) Abu Dhabi. Other partnerships with prominent Arab institutions include: Bahrain s Science Centre, Egypt s Planetarium Science Centre and Jordan s Children s Museum, all of whom are set to complement the rich array of new content on offer. ADSF 2013 is adding to its previous regional locations to extend beyond Al Ain and the Western region to include Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, and Um Al Quwain in the Northern and Eastern Emirates. Tickets & places at popular activities are selling out fast, visitors are encouraged to pre-plan their visits and book their favorite activities on-line through the festival s website. The onsite Box Office at the du Forum opens one hour before the festival opens and is operational for the duration of the Festival, allowing parents to buy tickets for that day, or any other day of the Festival. All events at the Abu Dhabi Corniche and regional tour activations are free-of-charge. Further details can be found at www.abudhabisciencefestival.ae. The 3rd edition of the Abu Dhabi Science Festival is organized by the Abu Dhabi Technology Development Committee (TDC) in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) as Education Partner , Edinburgh International Science Festival (EISF) as Content Partner , Tawazun as Presenting Sponsor , Dolphin Energy as Gold Sponsor ; ADNOC, Etihad Airways, Total and Masdar as Affiliate Sponsors with the Festival produced by Flash Entertainment.