Huawei has launched the HUAWEI XMAGE UAE Social Media Competition, inviting photography enthusiasts, content creators and Huawei smartphone users across the UAE to share their best photographs for a chance to win prizes and gain international recognition through the global HUAWEI XMAGE Awards 2026.
The UAE competition will run alongside the global HUAWEI XMAGE Awards, which are open for submissions from March 23 to August 16, 2026. The awards celebrate smartphone photography and visual storytelling, encouraging users to capture meaningful moments, cultural perspectives and everyday experiences using Huawei smartphones.
Huawei said the announcement follows the success of the HUAWEI XMAGE Awards 2025, which concluded with an awards ceremony at the Grand Palais in Paris on November 12, 2025. The competition attracted more than 740,000 submissions worldwide, with 100 images selected as winners.
Among last year’s winners were two UAE-based photographers, Grace Montives and Mark Anthony Agtay, whose photographs received international recognition.
The company said the UAE competition aims to encourage participants to capture the country’s landscapes, architecture, culture, people and daily life through their own creative lens.
Entries will be judged by a panel comprising Mohammed Moustafa Aldaou, Photography Curator and BIPP Judge; Dr. Ali Mohamad, Photography Expert; and Mubarak Mahboub, Professional Photography Coach and Filmmaker.
Commenting on the competition, Mohammed Moustafa Aldaou said: “Having worked with photographers, exhibitions, and visual storytelling initiatives across different regions of the world, I have witnessed how photography transcends language and geography to create meaningful human connections. The UAE offers a particularly rich visual landscape, where heritage and innovation, tradition and modernity, coexist in remarkable harmony. Through the HUAWEI XMAGE UAE Social Media Competition, we look forward to discovering images that not only demonstrate technical excellence, but also reveal authentic perspectives, cultural depth, and compelling narratives that reflect the spirit of the UAE. The most powerful photographs are those that allow us to see familiar places through a new lens and connect us to stories that resonate far beyond borders.”
Dr. Ali Mohamad said: “The UAE is a country rich with contrasts, from modern skylines and cultural landmarks to human stories and everyday moments that often go unnoticed. This competition gives photographers an opportunity to use mobile imaging as a creative tool to document these perspectives and share them with the world in a meaningful way.”
Mubarak Mahboub added: “What makes a powerful photograph is not the device alone, but the eye behind the lens and the emotion behind the frame. We will be looking for entries that go beyond beauty and technical quality to deliver originality, feeling, and a story that stays with the viewer.”
According to Huawei, participants in the UAE competition will be eligible for local prizes and may also have the opportunity to showcase their work through the global HUAWEI XMAGE Awards 2026.
The global competition will recognise 100 winners, including three grand prize winners who will receive $10,000 each. The remaining 97 winners will receive $1,500 and an electronic certificate.
To participate, users must upload a single photo on Instagram, use the hashtags #HUAWEIXMAGE and #HUAWEIXMAGEUAE, and follow and tag @huaweixmageawards.
Huawei said the initiative is designed to encourage users to turn everyday moments into visual stories that connect people and cultures around the world.
