The Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) has concluded the November 2021 edition of the Instagram Photo Contest, All THINGS EXPO. And the December edition, MAN-MADE.

Ten winners were announced for both contests with submissions being received under the hashtag #HIPAContest_AllThingsExpo for the November edition, and #HIPAContest_Manmade for the December edition. The contest winners hailed from; India, UAE, Palestine, Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia.

HIPA Secretary General, Ali bin Thalith said, “A global event such as Expo 2020 cannot be ignored, artistically or visually! The whole world has gathered in Dubai, with all its distinctive cultures, rituals, masterpieces and innovations that contribute value to humanity. This occasion contains some powerful visual attractions in the world capable of raising the level of competition to unprecedented levels. The photos from the Expo share with the world the impact of Dubai as a stage for the meeting of civilizations.

Bin Thalith added, “The December competition invited participants to explore man-made masterpieces and creativity in the architecture of the earth, the building of civilizations and civil development, which greatly contributed to making people's lives easier and more productive. We commend the quality of the entries, their competitive strength and the distinctive visual skill of the Indian lens that captured the winning photo. We congratulate all the winners and encourage the rest of our photographers to continue to develop their skills, knowledge and participation in future competitions.”

Our winner from UAE, Ahmed Yousif Juma Al Ali @blackandwhite_pag said about his winning photo in the ‘Man-Made’ competition, “The photo is of the minaret of the ‘Amna Al Ghurair’ mosque in the Emirate of Ajman. This is my first win in the Instagram contest. My happiness for winning is indescribable and I consider it a precious tribute to my passion and diligence in architectural and black and white photography. I consider HIPA to be my biggest supporter and grateful for the opportunity to be seen by the photography community”.

Arwa Sulaiman Alhatti @arwa_alhati, our winner from Palestine said about her winning photo in ‘All Things Expo’ competition, “The photo was taken during a school trip to Expo 2020 in Dubai. I am a science teacher and photography is my hobby. I loved the creative design of the UAE Pavilion, so I tried to capture it from an unusual angle, which proved to be a winner.

“This is my first win on social media, I can't really express my happiness when I found out. My hope is to win the HIPA  ‘Nature Season’ to take my name to the international level.”

Neelima Azad @neelimaazad, our ‘All Things Expo’ winner from India said, “I took this photo in the waterfall area at Expo 2020 Dubai, one morning during a yoga session. I began to see the possible frames of the photo and soon the picture turned into reality.

I have won many competitions before, but winning in HIPA was a beautiful dream. Thank you for making my dream come true. Photography is like therapy for me; it makes me excited, happy and adventurous. I also aspire to inspire all women by enjoying the moment and making beautiful memories.”

 

Winners of “All Things Expo” competition