Prince Khaled opened the contest, titled “Photography An Ambassador,” at the ministry’s branch office in Makkah earlier in the day.

The prince then viewed competitors’ photographs that had been put on display and listened to explanations about them.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs holds this cultural contest annually to enable artists in the Kingdom to showcase photography that convey messages relating to culture and civilization.

In his welcome speech, Prince Muhammad bin Saud bin Khaled, director general of the ministry’s branch office, said the exhibition had been organized in Makkah for the first time under Prince Khaled’s instruction.

“These photos depict the scenic beauty of the Kingdom apart from showing the heritage of our civilization to the outside world. They take us back to our glorious past,” he said.

He added that it is Prince Khaled’s dream to make Makkah a beacon of human civilization that guides the whole world. The best photos were awarded cash prizes worth SR308,000.

Isa Angawi, head of the contest’s screening committee, said the competition’s entries, which highlighted various aspects of Saudi life, prove that Saudi photographers are highly talented.