Closing ceremony to be held at Burj Khalifa courtyard
H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, will grace the closing ceremony of the inaugural Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award to be held starting 6 p.m. today (Monday, March 26, 2012) at the outer courtyard of Burj Khalifa. The winners of the Award - held under the theme 'Love of the Earth' - will be announced during the event.
International and Emirati winners will have the honour of meeting His Highness onstage while they receive recognition for their works under the three award pivots - 'Love of the Earth,' 'General' and 'Dubai'. Details of the next edition of the Award will be revealed as well.
Ali Khalifa Bin Thalith, Secretary-General of the Award, explains that the presence of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the patron of the award, is a testament to the importance of the competition and H.H.'s full support since its launch.
Bin Thalith noted that H.H.'s involvement also extends to his presence at the exhibition being held daily at Dubai Mall from 10 am to 10 pm and extending until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays through March 31, 2012. H.H. will exhibit 16 of his own photographs taken on different occasions which will be displayed alongside the 16 themed winning works from Emirati and International contestants of the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award.
Further, in line with efforts to continuously support and nurture the talents that have emerged from the first "Love of the Earth"-themed edition of the Award, the exhibition of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan's photographs and the works of the 16 winners will also be showcased at the Dubai International Financial Centre from April 4 to 12, 2012, 10 am to 10 pm daily, at the 'Al Bawaba' building. This will be open to the general public.
Ceremony program
The Secretary-General of the Award has announced that registration will start at 5 pm sharp for attendees who have registered at the official website. A specially-appointed company will conduct the registration process. The official ceremony will begin with the national anthem, followed by a few words from the Secretary-General. A review of the most outstanding achievements and competition statistics and information will come next, after which judge Marin will deliver a speech.
Winners under the 'Dubai' pivot will be announced first, followed by the 'General' and then 'Love of the Earth' winners. The winner of the grand prize of USD 100,000 will be revealed last. The ceremony will feature several special laser shows at the Burj Khalifa fountain.
Statistics and figures
Sahar Al Zarei, Assistant Secretary General of the Award pointed out that 4,046 contestants participated in the award. Each participant was allowed to submit only one entry, although it could compete under more than one of the three official pivots. A total of 5,597 images were uploaded. Saudi Arabia posted the most number of submissions from Arab states, followed by Egypt. A total of 99 countries participated in the competition, with 19 coming from the Middle East. The table below shows pertinent statistics.
About Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award:
Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award was established by decree No.1 for 2011 issued by His Highness Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council. The Dubai-based Award has the legal personality, legal capacity and the capacity to act according to the objectives and provisions of this decree. It aims to contribute to the development of the art of photography globally, discover and encourage talented photographers through the competition and support scientific and applied photography research.
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© Press Release 2012
