HIPA Award launches ‘family’ theme competition

The Ministry of Community Development (MoCD) and Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) announced the launch of a new theme in its current competition season titled "Family".

The competition motivates participants to compete by expressing their best-articulated images within a community development pillar based on highlighting virtual values and enhancing the principle of family stability and community cohesion.

The competition is conducted on Instagram and opens for one week through the hashtag #HIPAxMOCD_Family. At the end of the week, the process of sorting and judging the photographic works begin followed by checking and collecting high-resolution photographs, original files and necessary legal documents. The top five winners will be announced in the last week.

The MoCD allocated five prizes for the winners: US$1,000 for the first prize winner, $500 for the second prize winner, $400 for the third prize winner, $300 for the fourth prize winner and $200 for the fifth prize winner.

The competition is based on three criteria – creativity and innovation, embodying family cohesion and documenting family moments of different ethnic values of civilisations.

HIPA has invited all creative photographers around the world to participate and compete to spread and share international experiences among Emirati citizens, reflect artistic images in all the languages of the world regardless of different cultures, and to interact with diversified civilisations raising the overall level of photography.

The launch of the photography competition through Instagram allows all applicants to participate in the competition by taking a photo and uploading it to their account using the (#HIPAxMOCD_Family) hashtag in support and patronage of the MoCD.

In this regard, Ali Khalifa Bin Thalith, Secretary-General of HIPA said, "We, at the Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA), are delighted to collaborate with the MoCD to launch a photography competition that challenges artists to be inspired to creatively share with us, what for them, is at the heart of one of the key foundations of our community; which is family.

"Giving voice to core issues within our societies and communities is one of the pillars within HIPA’s framework, as established by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, and patron of HIPA."

Speaking on this occasion, Alia Al Joker, Director of Family Development Department at the Ministry of Community Development said, "The ministry is keen to expand its cooperation and integration with various authorities to reach out its positive impact on the family and society in the shortest and fastest way."

She elaborated that this initiative allowed participants to rethink their understanding of family cohesion in everyday life. It also provides them with the opportunity to document ideal family moments in an environment of harmony and cohesion.