Photography awards launched

Dubai: Zayed University and the Dubai Municipality on Monday launched the fourth Noor Ali Rashid Student Documentary Photography Award, an annual award that aims to recognise talented young photographers, named in honour of veteran royal photographer Noor Ali Rashid.

The press conference, held at Dubai's Shaikh Juma Al Majid House, was attended by Dr Sulaiman Al Jasem, Vice President of Zayed University, Rashid, Rashid Bukhash, director of the Architectural Heritage Department at the Dubai Municipality, and Marilyn Roberts, dean of the College of Communication and Media Sciences.

The competition's theme focuses on national heritage and culture. Upon the request of Rashid, applicants are invited to take both still and video shots of the UAE landscape, people and leaders. Undergraduate students from institutions accredited by the Commission on Academic Accreditation of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research can apply.

Dr Al Jasem said: "This award will be a continuation of a great effort to document the history of this country, as Noor Ali did throughout the decades."

Rashid expressed his pride at having the award named after him and recalled some of his memories as a photographer for the royal families in the UAE and while accompanying them on their trips abroad. Born in December 1929 in the Gwadar province in the then Sultanate of Oman, now Pakistan, Rashid was forbidden by his parents to practice photography. But he moved to Dubai, where he later became the photographer for the late Shaikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Makhtoum and the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Some of his collections of photographs are over 50 years old.

"I have taken historical photos of Eleanor Roosevelt, the late King of Iraq who was overthrown, of the late Turkish president... I have photos of people alive, hanged, overthrown and at just about any important function," he said.

"This honour is more important to me than a global prize... Shaikh Zayed said on several occasions that I was a member of the family - not just a photographer," he added.

He told Gulf News that times have changed for photographers.

"It's much harder for photojournalists to stand out today - mainly due to security reasons, competition and other challenges," he said.

The deadline for submissions is the end of March and the winners will be announced on May 8.