HIPA winners affirm Dubai’s position as eminent world photography hub
- 11 hours ago
Muhammad Yusuf, Features Write
Under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, the Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) concluded its 13th annual awards ceremony under the theme ‘Sustainability’, at the Museum of the Future.
Dignitaries and prominent members of the global photography community attended the concluding ceremony. Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), presented the $200,000 Grand Prize to Chinese photographer Liping Cao.
He captured, in black-and-white, a poignant scene of nature and technology in harmony: towering wind turbines rising prominently on the horizon, their blades slowly rotating in the breeze, embodying the quiet power of renewable energy.
Behind them, the sky, speckled with drifting clouds, created a dynamic backdrop. The dry riverbed beneath the turbines added depth to the image, as a reminder of the importance of sustainable practices in a world facing environmental challenges.
Sheikha Latifa said that Dubai, with its visionary approach, was a nurturing space for innovative initiatives and awards, establishing itself as a global source of inspiration and a gathering place for creative minds and exceptional talent from diverse fields. She noted that the Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award reflected the emirate’s inspiring ethos, cultural richness, and the strength of its visual and creative arts landscape.
“This award ... showcases Dubai’s ability to build bridges of communication among people and communities by honouring talented individuals who, through their creative work, tell the stories of cultures and document traditions,” she said. Ali bin Thalith, HIPA Secretary General, thanked Sheikh Hamdan for his continued support of HIPA and the art of photography. “In our thirteenth year, we have extended our reach to 205 countries,” he said. “What truly matters to us is the advancement of the photographer and the photography industry. Sheikh Hamdan’s vision for nurturing human creativity is apparent from his decision to raise the total prize purse of the award to $1 million.”
He noted that “over the past 13 years, HIPA has enhanced Dubai’s artistic and cultural presence globally and has made a tangible difference to photographer communities regionally and internationally. We have established a solid creative base in Dubai and have successfully honed Emirati talent, elevating them to international levels of competitiveness. The presence of winners from the UAE, Palestine, Saudi Arabia and Syria, is evidence that Arab photographers have earned their place on the world stage.”
More than a quarter of the winners in this season’s awards reside in the UAE; they benefit from a creative environment that stimulated innovation and competitiveness, Bin Thalith underlined. “This reinforces the UAE’s leadership in attracting global talent and innovators.” James ‘Jimmy’ Philip Nelson, a Dutch photographer known for his work with indigenous communities, received the Photography Appreciation Award for his significant contributions to photography and projects that fostered greater understanding between different cultures.
The Photography Content Creator Award went to Emirati photographer Salma Ali Humaid Alsuwaidi for her pioneering work documenting wildlife and bird species of the UAE. Her book ‘Common Birds and Their Nests in the United Arab Emirates’, especially contributes to the work of scientific and artistic communities. The inaugural HIPA Photographer of the Year Award was presented to Samy Al Olabi, a Syrian astrophotographer renowned for his breathtaking images of celestial objects and nature photography, found particularly in the dark skies of the Arabian Peninsula. He is famous for his projects photographing stars from the unexplored corners of the Arabian Peninsula and his work has been featured in more than 80 local and international publications.
Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum also honoured the winners in the ‘Sustainability’ category. Ruijuan Huang from China took the first prize, with French photographer Virginie Ellis and Ranganathan Mukkai from India, finishing second and third, respectively. Bin Thalith presented awards for the ‘General - Colour’ winners. Rahul Vishwanath Sachdev from India won first prize, followed by Youmn Mohammed Almanla from Saudi Arabia, and Ahmed Abdallah Al Housni from Oman.
In the ‘General - Black and White’ category, American photographer Renee Capozzola took the first prize, followed by Hikkaduwa Liyanage Prasantha Vinod from Sri Lanka, and Ateeb Hussain from India. Abdulrahman bin Mohamed Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of HIPA, honoured winners of the ‘Portfolio (Story-Telling)’ category. Palestinian photographer Fatima Alzahra Shbair won first place, with Sarah Wouters from the Netherlands taking second spot and Wen Bing from China finishing third.
The Minister also honoured winners in the ‘Short Video (For Social Media)’ category. Aleksandr Tsuprun from the Russian Federation won first prize, followed by Norbert von Niman from Sweden, and Abhin Kizhakke Veettil from India, who finished third.
Hala Badri, Director General of Dubai Culture, presented the Sports Photography awards. Tobias Friedrich from Germany took the first prize, followed by Karim Iliya from the USA and Hendra Agus Setyawan from Indonesia, respectively. The HIPA 13th Season Awards highlighted the outstanding talent of the global photographer community, this time working with a strong emphasis on sustainability and creativity. With Sheikh Hamdan’s continuing support, HIPA remains a leading platform for advancing the art of photography and celebrating photographers who inspire the world through their work.
