National Geographic Abu Dhabi, in partnership with Abu Dhabi Media and Almarai, has announced the short-listed photographs for the 8th edition of its “Moments” photography competition. It is one of the largest photography contests in the region, established to nurture the talent of aspiring photographers from around the Arab world.
“Moments” is held in partnership with Almarai, which has been a strategic supporter of this platform for the last five years as part of its CSR program and shared vision of nurturing young talent from the Middle East.
Sixty-four photographs have been shortlisted for this year’s edition by the judging panel comprising Tasneem Sultan, a Saudi award-winning National Geographic photographer, and Hussam R. Abdulqader, chief marketing officer of Almarai.
The 2018 competition received a record 40,000 entries from Algeria all the way to Saudi Arabia. There was a marked increase of entries from the GCC this year, with several short-listed photographs from the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman. The competition’s final winner will be announced next month at an event in Dubai.
Abdulrahman Awadh Al-Harthi, acting executive director of television and executive director of Abu Dhabi Radio Network at Abu Dhabi Media, said: “The ‘Moments’ photography competition has become a unique platform for young artists to express their talent. The success of the competition is evident in the growing number of entries and quality of images.
“At Abu Dhabi Media, we are committed and proud to support this competition, reflecting our support for all segments of society, especially youth, offering them platforms such as this one to express their creativity and ideas.”
Abdulqader of Almarai said: “Year on year, we are seeing photographs with increasingly powerful storytelling. Many of this year’s photographs are living portraits of the stories of the region, historical, cultural and social stories, but above all human stories. Making a decision on the winning photograph will be very difficult, as there is a lot of talent that deserves to win.”
Sanjay Raina, general manager and senior vice president of Fox Networks Groups (FNG), said: “At National Geographic Abu Dhabi, our mission is not only to share across our platforms stories of exploration, adventure, travel and life through the lens of our photographers and cinematographers, but we want to encourage everyone to go out and be the explorers, the adventurers and the travelers who uncover these moments and bring their stories to the region and to the world.”
The grand prize winner will receive a 10-day all-expenses-paid National Geographic photography expedition trip to Italy, courtesy of Almarai, photography equipment and complimentary travel to the Moments Awards Ceremony in Dubai.
