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UAE: Share your winter experience for a chance to win up to Dh50,000

Photography competition aims to involve the community in promoting the country as a winter destination

Residents and citizens across the UAE can capture their outdoor winter adventures for a chance to bag prizes from Dh7,000 to Dh50,000.

In collaboration with the UAE Government Media Office, the Hamdan Bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) launched the World’s Coolest Winter Photography Competition to encourage the UAE community, photographers and artists to share their favourite winter moments in the UAE on social media, while highlighting the country’s hidden nature gems and diverse wildlife.

The online competition, running from December 20, 2021 to January 20, 2022, comes as part of the nationwide World’s Coolest Winter campaign, which was recently launched to encourage people to explore the UAE's hidden gems and promote the UAE as a touristic destination.

The total prise money of the competition amounts to Dh250,000, which has been distributed Dh7,000 for each of the five subcategories under One Photo, and Dh50,000 for each of the four subcategories under Portfolio.

Under the One Photo category, online users can post their experiences in the UAE’s natural landscapes on Instagram using the #WorldsCoolestWinter and submit the photo on HIPA’s website for a chance to win Dh7,000.

The second category, Portfolio, is exclusive to professional photographers who are invited to capture life in the UAE through their lens for a chance to win Dh50,000.

Ali Khalifa Bin Thalith, Secretary General of HIPA, said, the competition focuses on sparking enthusiasm and raising awareness of the UAE’s diverse experiences. “Through the competition, we aim to inspire people to experience the UAE’s nature in a new perspective and highlight the country’s outdoor features in a different frame. The UAE is home to rich wildlife and scenery that are yet to be discovered.”

He added that the competition aims to involve the community in promoting the UAE as a winter destination, while rewarding the different skills and talents of hobbyists and professional photographers.

Alia Al Hammadi, Vice Chairperson of the UAE Government Media Office, said, “images are great channels through which people can share their memories, their adventures and the way they see the world. The competition will encourage the community to go outdoors, make memories and experience the UAE in a way they never have before.”

Nine winners will be announced in a ceremony next year after an expert judging panel evaluates the photo submissions. Al Thalith said winning photos will be selected based on clarity, focus and contrast, and colour balance.

How to participate?

The competition features two main categories: One Photo and Portfolio.

Open to the public, One Photo covers the five subcategories of Desert, Sea, Mountains, Valleys, and Emirates from Above, each prized at Dh7,000. To participate, users must share their photos on Instagram using the #WorldsCoolestWinter, while also submitting the photo on HIPA’s website www.hipa.ae.

The second category, Portfolio, is exclusive to professional photographers and includes four subcategories – Emirates in Your Eyes, Emirates Wilderness, Faces from Emirates, and Street Life in Emirates.

Participants in this category must submit their photos on HIPA’s website www.hipa.ae for a chance to win Dh50,000 for each subcategory.

Expert Judging Panel

Photo submissions will be evaluated by a panel of expert judges with international awards for creative photography and photojournalism. The panel includes John Stanmeyer, an American photojournalist who received the World Press Photo of the Year, and Canadian Barbara Davidson, three-time Pulitzer Prize winning photographer.

sherouk@khaleejtimes.com