Abu Dhabi, UAE, January 25, 2021 - National Geographic Abu Dhabi (NGAD) and Almarai announced today the shortlisted entries for the 2020 edition and 10th annual ‘Moments’ competition, one of the largest photography competitions across the Middle East and North Africa.

A total of 10 images were shortlisted from over 27,000 entries received this year, from countries across the Middle East and North Africa. They consisted of three images from the UAE by Ahmed Al Shehi, Salem Sarhan and Safiaa Al Zaabi; two images from Saudi Arabia by Hussein Ali and Afrah Saleh Al Harby; an image from Syria by Khalil Ashmawi; an image from Iraq by Ahmed Lazem; an image from Jordan by Ahmed Al Azam; and two from Palestine by Samar Abu Al Ouf.

 

The selection was made by the competition’s judging panel, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner and National Geographic photographer Mohammad Muheisen and Hussam R. Abdulqader, CMO of Almarai. 

The 2020 ‘Moments’ edition witnessed a large participation from the GCC and from the UAE and Saudi Arabia in particular, which accounted for the most participation this year. 

 

Held under the theme of ‘2020 Moments - A Year Lived Differently’, the 2020 short-listed images captured ‘Inspired Moments’ of togetherness with loved ones and staying connected. Photographers invited us into their homes where they captured students' distance learning and warm, yet socially distanced family moments, featuring cooking and playing traditional games such as carrom in UAE and Oman and Teela in Saudi Arabia. Adaptation moments were also captured, from makeshift hairdressing in the street to a university graduation on a rooftop.

 

Drone photography added a spellbinding birds-eye-view of fascinating moments. In a continuing trend, two thirds of the images were captured on mobile phones, while a third were taken with professional cameras. 

 

The Grand Prize winners of this year’s ‘Moments’ competition will be announced very soon. Winner will have their photograph released in the National Geographic Alarabiya Magazine, in addition to $10,000 worth of professional photography equipment. 

 

National Geographic Abu Dhabi’s ‘Moments’ competition has attracted over 275,000 entries over the last ten years, from across the Arab world. It is held for the eighth consecutive year in partnership with Almarai, the largest vertically integrated dairy company in the world and MENA's largest food production and distribution company. The company has been a strategic partner of National Geographic Abu Dhabi and the ‘Moments’ Competition since 2014, with a shared vision and commitment to support Arab budding photographers, through offering them exposure and the possibility to be discovered on such a prominent platform.