ع
Huawei developed the “The UAE. A Closer Look.” initiative in partnership with the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award to explore aspects of the country that typical images overlook, Mid-East Info reported on October 1, 2026. The project dispatched photographers to each of the seven emirates, directing them to capture elements shaped by people, heritage and natural contrasts rather than skylines or tourist staples. Tourism boards facilitated access to landmarks, natural areas, heritage locations and communities while HIPA supplied mentoring to transform visits into coherent visual stories.
The Mid-East Info feature noted that participants shot exclusively on Huawei’s Pura 90s Series equipped with its 200 MP Ultra Large Sensor Telephoto Camera, which delivered enhanced detail and compositional flexibility across varied conditions. Photographers interpreted the XMAGE categories through personal perspectives, producing work that reflected both technical capability and local narrative depth. This approach built on Huawei’s established imaging platform, which has featured in multiple global awards and exhibitions since its introduction.
According to the same report, Sharjah offered participants the emirate’s cultural depth through a mix of archaeological sites, heritage villages, contemporary architecture and active public spaces. Locations included the Mleiha Archaeological Centre and Najd Al Meqsar Heritage Village for historical perspectives, the House of Wisdom and Heart of Sharjah for innovation and community themes, and the waterfronts at Khorfakkan and Kalba for natural coastal elements. The resulting images framed stories spanning history, present-day creativity and social connections within a single emirate.
The MENAFN-distributed account described how the Sharjah segment, titled “Many landscapes, one Sharjah: Through the lens of Huawei XMAGE,” formed one chapter in the broader seven-emirate survey. In Ajman, for example, the same group documented the heritage district alongside mountain scenery at Masfout, incorporating forts, oases and traditional architecture. Each emirate’s output contributed to a collective portrait that emphasised understated elements over iconic vistas.
Huawei’s XMAGE program previously staged a global exhibition in Dubai in May 2024 under the theme “A Heartwarming World – 12 Years of Huawei Photography,” a PR Newswire release from that period stated. The display presented nearly 300 photographs selected from millions of submissions, organised into categories that included landscapes, spaces and moments of daily life. The 2024 exhibition underscored the imaging technology’s role in enabling accessible yet high-quality mobile photography worldwide.
A Gulf News review of the 2025 Huawei XMAGE Awards placed total entries above 740,000 from 78 countries and regions, with UAE-based photographers among those recognised in multiple categories. The awards process evaluated submissions on composition, storytelling and originality, mirroring the criteria applied in the “The UAE. A Closer Look.” project. Such scale demonstrates sustained international interest in smartphone-based visual narratives facilitated by the XMAGE platform.
