The UAE has launched the World’s Coolest Winter Photography Competition— #WorldsCoolestWinter offering Dh250,000 ($68,073) in prize money.

The UAE is branding itself as the ‘world’s coolest winter’ destination as Sheikh Mohammed launched a massive advertising campaign. Along the lines of the campaign, the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Awards (Hipa) has announced a photography competition too.

In collaboration with the UAE Government Media Office, the UAE has launched the World’s Coolest Winter Photography Competition— #WorldsCoolestWinter offering Dh250,000 ($68,073) in prize money.

Open to all amateurs and professional photographers, the competition aims to familiarise residents and tourists with the various activities on offer in the UAE during cooler months. Through the submissions, the competition will highlight the UAE’s entertainment, cultural and natural attractions.

The competition has been divided into two main categories— the first one is open to the public and covers five subcategories-- Desert, Sea, Mountains, Valleys, and the Emirates from Above.

The second category is Portfolio that is exclusive to professional photographers and has been divided into four subcategories— Emirates in Your Eyes, Emirates Wilderness, Faces from Emirates, and Street Life in Emirates.

The competition that focuses on sparking enthusiasm and raising awareness of the UAE’s diverse experiences, will run till January 20, followed by an awards ceremony.

Winners in each of the five subcategories of One Photo will be awarded Dh7,000, while Dh50,000 has been allocated for each of the subcategories in Portfolio. Participants must also share their photo under a One Photo category on their Instagram account, with the campaign hashtag #WorldsCoolestWinter.

The competition will be judged by a panel of experts including John Stanmeyer, an American photojournalist who received the World Press Photo of the Year award, and Canadian Barbara Davidson, a three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer.