Overview

Fujairah’s Gardens

After the success of the first Fujairah Photography Award, Fujairah Culture and Media Authority launched the second cycle of the award. The theme was “Fujairah Gardens” aiming to highlight the beautiful agricultural scenery of Fujairah and its gardens and oases. 

In order for FPA to emerge as an exceptional award among other local photography awards and add quality photos to the archive of visual heritage in Fujairah in particular and the UAE in general, the Organizing Committee developed a set of rules and conditions. These rules aimed at receiving entries that are more in conformation with the visual creativity of photography. 

The cash prizes presented to the winners were increased for this cycle. The first winner received Dhs 20,000, the second winner Dhs 12,000 and the third winner Dhs 8,000. There were various in-kind prizes for distinctive works and participation certificates for all participants. 

There were a number of field trips organized by the Organizing Committee for participants who were able to visit locations that are relevant to the award’s theme and form an idea of what they wanted to photograph. 

The Organizing Committee included: Eng. Mohamed Saif Al Afkham, Nasser Mohamed Al Yammahi, Jassim Rabie Al Awadhi, Khalid Rashid Al Dhanhani, Omar Farhan and Ibrahim Allan. 

Winners of the 2nd Fujairah Photography Award: 

• First Prize: Fatima Salem Al Suraidi
• Second Prize: Khalid Hassan Al Faris
• Third Prize: Saeed Ahmad Al Ya’aqib 

How do you See Fujairah!

When FCMA announced the third cycle of FPA, there were two categories: a ‘general’ and a ‘specific’ one. The General Category was titled “How do you see Fujairah?” and it focused on the beauty of Fujairah’s nature (mountains, valleys, sea, urban facilities, etc.). The participants were free to record their personal impressions and artistic vision through the camera lens.

The Specific Category was titled “Water” and it aimed at showing how water influences everyday activities in Fujairah which is famous for its sandy beaches, waterfalls, and springs. It also aimed at getting deeper into the marine life and exploring its aesthetic and structural aspects. The Organizing Committee arranged a tour for all participants with workshops supervised by FPA’s Jury members. The tour introduced the participants to the award’s themes and directed them to the best methods of photography.

The Grand Prize was a Hasselblad Camera for the overall winner chosen by the Jury for exceptional and distinctive entries submitted in all the categories of the award. The cash prizes were Dhs 20,000 for the first winner, Dhs 12,000 for the second winner and Dhs 8,000 for the third winner. There were also in-kind prizes that included a one year subscription to Digital Photographer magazine.

Jury members included Jassim Al Awadhi, Saeed Al Shamsi and Mohamed Al Marzouqi.

The winners of the 3^rd Fujairah Photography Award:

• Grand Prize: Kulaithem Ali Al Shamsi
• First Prize: Mustafa Athab
• Second Prize: Haytham Ahmad Al Yateem
• Third Prize: Mick Baija. 

Arab World Version

The number of participants in the 4^th FPA increased significantly reaching 674 entries. The Arab World version of the award was also launched for the first time this year. The award ceremony of the 4^th FPA in both its Local and Arab World versions and the winning photos exhibition were under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hamad Al Sharqi, the Crown Prince of Fujairah.

The Jury members for the Arab World version of FPA were: Nadera Al Badri, Suqrat Qahoush, Omar Al Zaabi, Mustafa Athab and Sameer Beshara.

The Jury members for the Local FPA were: Jassim Al Awadhi, Saeed Al Shamsi and Mohammed Al Marzouqi.

Winners of the Arabic FPA:

• First Prize: Fahad Abdulla (Yemen).
• Second Prize: Abdul Rasoul Al Jabiri (Iraq).
• Third Prize: Yousif Sabaa (Algeria).

Winners of the Local FPA:

• First Prize: Kareem Sahib.
• Second Prize: Saeed Abdulla Jamouh.
• Third Prize: Donell Gumiran.

Discretionary Award winner:

• Sulaiman Ahmed Al Hammadi.

Grand Prize Winner:

• Mario B. Cardenas.

Urban Development and Mountains

Given previous successes, Fujairah Photography Award continued with both its local and regional versions. The focus of the general category for this edition’s local competition was the urban development and mountains in the Emirate of Fujairah. The general category was urban development. This theme highlighted the aesthetic elements seen by photographers in Fujairah and the economic, cultural and social evolution of the Emirate. Photographers were to give a clear picture of this development, and document it aesthetically.

The specific category was mountains. This topic was chosen because of the splendid mountainous nature of Fujairah.  Photographers had the opportunity to create visual art with their cameras using the beauty of Fujairah’s mountains as they stretch to the glorious sandy beaches as both inspiration and canvas. The pleasant weather of Fujairah with the occasional rain and consistent sun and clear sky provides an opportunity for visual artists to capture the perfect scene.

The Arab World version of the award included three categories: general category / general photography and two specific categories: travel, tourism and nature.

The Jury received and sorted hundreds of entries from 333 participants in both the local and regional versions of the award. Entries from the regional “Arab World” competition reached 157 entries from 15 countries. The local competition, on the other hand, received 176 entries from 19 nationalities residing in the UAE. Many workshops and training sessions were held on the sidelines of this cycle of FPA. These were aimed at informing participants about the aspects of the award and enhancing their skills so they’ll acquire new experiences in the field of photography. This cycle saw an increase in the number of GCC participants, something that was perceived by the Jury as positive. The 5^th FPA has also seen a quantum leap in Arabic entries which reflect the extent to which the art of photography has developed in the Arab World.

Jury members were: Jassim Al Awadhi (Head of the Jury), Saeed Al Shamsi, Rene Collin and Mohammed Al Boloushi.

The Grand Prize was a Hasselblad Camera for the overall winner chosen by the Jury for exceptional and distinctive entries submitted in both categories. Cash prizes were:

For the general category: Dhs 25,000 for the first winner, Dhs 15,000 for the second winner and Dhs 10,000 for the third winner.

For the specific category: Dhs 25,000 for the first winner, Dhs 15,000 for the second winner and Dhs 10,000 for the third winner.

The results were as follows:

Local Award

Specific Category: Fujairah Mountains

• First Prize: Sulaiman Ahmed Alhammadi - UAE.
• Second Prize: Michael Rafael Cruz - Philippines.
• Third Prize: Sugesh Gopal - India.

General Category: Urban Development in Fujairah

• First Prize: Ibrahim Abdulla Alhammadi - UAE.
• Second Prize: Khaled Mohamed Alkindi - UAE.
• Third Prize: Ahmed Rashid Alnaqbi - UAE.

Grand Prize: Hasselblad Camera – Winner: Alexander Dizon Arevalo – Philippines

Arab World Award

General Category: General Photography

• First Prize: Mohamed Abdulnaser Hamamh - Egypt.
• Second Prize: Issam H. Al Asmar - Palestine.
• Third Prize: Hussain Abdulnour Al Ahdal - Yemen.

Travel and Tourism Category

• First Prize: Ismail Mohamed Alfarsi - Oman.
• Second Prize: Galal Rifaat Almissary - Egypt.
• Third Prize: Nader Mohamed Saad Allah - Egypt.

Nature Category

• First Prize: Ahmed Mohammed Al-Touqi - Oman.
• Second Prize: Majid Obaid Al Amri - Oman.
• Third Prize: Bassem Shaaban Abdou - Egypt.

FUJAIRAH... THE MEMORY OF LIGHT

LOCAL COMPETITION

Overview:

To continue past achievements of the Fujairah Photography Award, Fujairah Culture and Media Authority launched the sixth cycle in both the local and the Arab world versions. The general category of the local award has the theme “the Pulse of life in Fujairah”. The aim is to highlight social and economic development in the Emirate, and document the vibrant everyday life of Fujairah in images. The focus should be on human activity, whether its economic or social, in addition to movements in markets, agriculture, industry, national social and miscellaneous activities. The theme encourages the documentation of everyday life, and provides a vivid picture of life in Fujairah and its vital and important development in these fields. It also reflects how Fujairah is preserving the deep-rooted customs and traditions, which are part of its well-established unique national identity.

The specific category of the local award is “Nature”:  the sea, mountains, valleys and springs. It depicts the amazing and glorious diversity and richness that are characteristic of Fujairah’s nature.  It also puts in focus the unique topography and nuances of mountains, valleys and beaches and the visual diversity as the seasons change.

Catgories:

·     Nature

In the competition it means the natural diversity in the Emirate of Fujairah which can be seen in the mountains, the desert, the beautiful agricultural valleys, the water springs and the spectacular beaches. It also includes the beautiful and unique landscapes of Fujairah as a result of this diversity causing it to be described as the Emirate where the UAE breathes, and making it a popular destination for those seeking rest and recuperation and wanting to enjoy the beauty of serene nature. 

·     Pulse of Life

It means human movement and interaction with the surrounding environment; it’s their lifestyle and the small details of everyday life, whether these details are found in social relationships or in the economic activity of industry, agriculture, trade and marine activities. It’s also the resulting agricultural, industrial and marine markets, and the movement generated by all this activity in streets, public markets such as malls or specific markets such as fish markets. 
Moreover, it includes agricultural products, or the traditional days that are spent in shopping such as the Friday market.

ARAB WORLD COMPETITION

Overview:

The Arab World competition of FPA achieved remarkable success in the number and quality of entries in the last two years. Hence, Fujairah Culture and Media Authority decided to continue with the competition, and introduce themes that reflect the beauty of the Arab World civilization and the great legacy that comes with it. Because of the exceptional importance of the Arab cultural heritage, and what it represents as a holy link between speakers of Arabic language, it was agreed that the general category of the Arab World competition will be “Cultural Heritage”. The aim is to highlight the aesthetics and diversity of Arab civilization and reflect the profound legacy of this cultural diversity in the communication between civilizations and their interaction on Arab land. The specific categories will focus on the Islamic heritage and traditional houses. Islamic architectural heritage was chosen because it depicts the aesthetics introduced to the world by the Islamic civilization. The traditional houses were chosen to portray the interaction of Arabs with their dynamic surroundings which can be observed in the traditional urban patterns.

Catgories:

·     Cultural Heritage

All human legacy including architectural heritage such as towns, dwellings, temples, etc., to portray the great cultural depth of the Arab lands, and the human movement and activity throughout history on these lands. This heritage includes the diverse civilizations in the Arabian Peninsula, Yemen, Egypt, Iraq, the Levant and the Arab Maghreb Union. 

·     Islamic Architectural Heritage

All urban heritage created by the Islamic civilization whether in Islamic cities that have arisen with the spread of Islam, or in mosques and the aesthetics that accompanied this architecture such as patterns, shapes and designs in line with the Islamic understanding of the arts and the unique identity of Islamic Architecture. 

·     Traditional Houses

The traditional houses were chosen to portray the interaction of Arabs with their dynamic surroundings, which can be observed in the traditional urban patterns that usually merge and conform to the surrounding natural geographic environment in terms of the materials used or in the built form which suits the climate change and variability. Traditional houses also portray the nature of family and social relationships in Arabic communities.

Winners

LOCAL COMPETITION

Nature Category:

Grand Prize​

The Grand Prize will be awarded to the contestant who wins the both categories.

·     The Grand Prize and the First Prize winner: Anthony Austria 

·     Second Prize: Samy Abdulrazak Olabi

·     Third Prize: Charles Joseph

Puls of Life Category:

·     First Prize: Shoaib Hisham Khattab

·     Second Prize: Mark Anthony

·     Third Prize: Hany Mahmoud Mohamed

ARAB WORLD COMPETITION

Cultural Heritage Catogory

·     First Prize: Saleh

·     Second Prize: Suleiman bin Saeed

·     Third Prize: Ayman Gamal El Din​

Islamic Architectural Heritage Category

·     First Prize: Mansour Mohsen Mohammed

·     Second Prize: Ahmed bin Mohammed

·     Third Prize: Mamdouh Kamal Said

Traditional Houses Category

·     First Prize: Ismail bin Mohammed bin Abdullah

·     Second Prize: Hamed Rashid Ali

·     Third Prize: Hassan Tarek El Sayyad