The 8th Abu Dhabi International Vascular Conference will include a parallel workshop on offloading the diabetic foot using casting, shoes and insoles on 7 November 2026, from 14:00 to 15:30, in the Dana Room at Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche. The conference runs from 6 to 8 November under the theme “Every Step Matters: Raising Awareness in Limb Salvage and Vascular Care”.
The session, listed as Workshop C: Podiatry I, was promoted by MENA Conference on LinkedIn. It is billed as a practical look at pressure relief and foot protection delivered by a multidisciplinary team, and the conference programme poster shows Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC) branding, an endorsement from the Emirates Vascular Surgery Society and the Abu Dhabi Convention & Exhibition Bureau as destination partner.
Who is teaching the offloading workshop
The faculty combines UK and UAE clinicians. Prof Edward Jude is a professor of medicine and consultant diabetologist at Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, with posts at Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Manchester. Abeer Sameer Alanazi is a senior podiatrist at SSMC, and Fortune Howard is a podiatrist and diabetic foot and wound care specialist at SSMC. Arif Adam is a specialist podiatrist in diabetic foot and limb preservation at SSMC, and Alaa Ghattas is a nurse and cast technician at Sheikh Tahnoon Medical City in Al Ain.
Why casting, shoes and insoles matter for diabetic foot care
Offloading is a core part of diabetic foot ulcer management and prevention, and the workshop title covers the three main tools: casts, therapeutic footwear and insoles. The organisers have not published a detailed session outline, so the content beyond the title and description is not yet known. Anyone planning to attend should confirm the room and timing with the organiser.
IMEA POD Perspective
For podiatrists and pedorthists in the Gulf and wider IMEA region, the session is a rare hands-on opportunity to see how a hospital-based podiatry team and a cast technician approach offloading together. Workshops of this kind also show how limb salvage is increasingly framed as a team effort across vascular surgery, podiatry, nursing and orthotics, which is the model many IMEA health systems are still building. The conference website states that the meeting is accredited by the Department of Health, Abu Dhabi, for up to 16.35 CME hours, which may help UAE-based clinicians justify attendance.
Related coverage on IMEA POD includes World Diabetes Day 2026: Why Early Action Must Include the Feet, the Bengaluru Declaration on the diabetic foot and Saudi Arabia’s Walk Safe national diabetic foot programme.
Suggested hyperlinks / sources
- 8th Abu Dhabi International Vascular Conference (advascular.com)
- MENA Conference on LinkedIn (workshop announcement)
- IMEA POD events listing for the conference
- Diabetic Foot news on IMEA POD