Kingdom Photography Award

The Kingdom Photography Award is one of the cultural initiatives in the field of photography, implemented by the Visual Arts Commission affiliated with the Ministry of Culture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This initiative contributes to encouraging creative photographers, both Saudi and international, to photograph and explore the natural and urban environment of the Kingdom. The first edition was launched in 2022.

The Visual Arts Commission launched the first edition of the Kingdom Photography Award through its website on August 1, 2022. Registration applications were accepted for approximately three weeks. The first edition focused on al-Wajh Governorate in Tabuk Province, northwest of the Kingdom, known for its pristine beaches and architectural heritage, making it a distinguished destination.

The Kingdom Photography Award aims to encourage Saudi, resident, and international photographers to explore the natural landscapes of the Kingdom and capture creative images. It seeks to promote cultural and artistic exchange both within and outside the Kingdom, share expertise in the art of photography through the formation of specialized global partnerships, and target specific areas of the Kingdom that boast unique natural and architectural landscapes, documenting them through the photographic lens.

The Kingdom Photography Award allows local and international photographers and professionals to capture creative images of al-Wajh Governorate within three main categories: underwater photography, coastal and nature photography, and urban environment photography.

The Kingdom Photography Award encompassed two tracks: The first track, the "Kingdom Photography Professional Grant," focused on inviting professional photographers from around the world to apply for the grant. It was designed to create a photographic archive dedicated to al-Wajh region. This grant included professionals within the three categories: underwater photography, coastal and nature photography, and urban environment photography.

The second track, the "Kingdom Photography Discovery Competition," focused on inviting emerging photographers in the Kingdom. It provided them with the opportunity to interact with professional photographers from the grant track through training workshops, lessons, and professional courses. It also featured a joint exhibition to showcase the final works of the winning photographers from the three categories, in addition to honoring the winners with prizes totaling approximately SAR400,000.

On October 30, 2022, the Kingdom Photography Award announced the names of the winners of the Kingdom Photography Professional Grant in its inaugural edition, targeting accredited photographers worldwide to create the first professional photographic archive of the region in three photography categories: underwater photography, urban environment photography, and coastal photography. Alex Dawson won in the underwater photography category, Nyree Jane Cox in the urban environment photography category, and Andrea Diana Alkalay in the coastal photography category. They were selected from a pool of applicants from around the world to work on creating a professional photographic archive for al-Wajh Governorate, which extends along the Red Sea coast and is the focus of the inaugural edition of the award. In addition, they joined a panel of judges who will evaluate the final submissions for the Kingdom Open Photography Competition for emerging local photographers.

The Visual Arts Commission organized the exhibition for the first edition of the Kingdom Photography Award in 2022, held from December 9 to 11, at the Hayy Jameel Center in Jeddah City. The exhibition showcased a selection of chosen photographs from the Kingdom Photography Professional Grant, alongside photos from seventeen finalists, and the winning images in the three categories of the Kingdom Photography Discovery Competition.

The Visual Arts Commission launched the second edition of the Kingdom Photography Award titled "We Tell Stories" through its website on December 5, 2023. Registration applications were accepted for approximately four weeks. The award provided participants with the opportunity to submit a collection of photographs from their daily lives in their own unique style.

The second edition of the Kingdom Photography Award aims to take pride in the heritage and civilization of the Kingdom by reviving them through contemporary stories embodied in photographic images. It contributes to presenting a modern vision of Saudi civilization by raising awareness about Saudi identity and its diverse nature and working to strengthen it. The award provides support to amateurs and photographers to showcase their work in a new artistic and creative manner, presenting stories and tales through their photographs. Additionally, it focuses on unifying the artistic community, serving as a gathering place for photographers and contemporary artists to exchange different perspectives and stories about the Kingdom.

The second edition of the Kingdom Photography Award allowed participants to submit a minimum of three and a maximum of ten photographs, using either a mobile phone or an advanced modern camera. The goal was to select five winners, each of whom would receive approximately SAR20,000, along with vouchers worth about SAR20,000, in addition to exhibiting their winning works at Hayy Jameel in Jeddah.

On February 10, 2024, the Visual Arts Commission announced the names of the five winners of the second edition. The winner, Abdullah al-Sheikh, captured the love story of farmers for palm trees in al-Ahsa Governorate with his work titled "I Am from This Land." The winner, Amina Ibrahim al-Hayek, presented a piece about women in al-Qatif by photographing an urban scene of al-Qatif alongside the daily habits of young and elderly women. Winner Nadhir al-Asif created a work titled "Ibrahim al-Milad - Life in Colors," capturing the sixty-five-year-old artist living on a small farm in the heart of al-Qatif City. Mohammed al-Juraibi won with his piece titled "Saudi Symphony" in Riyadh City, and Zuhair al-Traifi won with his series "Ain al-Jawhariya," depicting the underground springs that used to irrigate al-Ahsa before they were closed.

The second edition of the Kingdom Photography Award exhibition, titled "al-Hasa Hassana," was organized by the Visual Arts Commission at Hayy Jameel in Jeddah City. It ran from February 10 to March 2, 2024, showcasing photographs of al-Ahsa Governorate by international photographers such as Alejandro Chaskielberg, Farah Foudeh, Abdo Shanan, and Tasneem al-Sultan. The exhibition also featured the winning works of the second edition of the Kingdom Photography Award. Additionally, the program included open discussions, dialogues, and workshops with professional photographers.