Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi witnesses a conclusion "Express 2025"

Sharjah, February 26 / WAM / His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council, witnessed this evening, Wednesday, the closing ceremony of the ninth edition of the International Festival of Photography “Expogger 2025”, which recorded the attendance of more than 30 thousand visitors, from photographers, filmmakers and visual arts lovers of different types.

The ceremony, which was held in the Al -Jaidah area, started with a speech delivered by Tariq Saeed Allai, Director General of the Media Office of the Sharjah Government, in which he emphasized that “Express” has become a meeting place for thought and creativity, and an event redefining the role of the lens in documenting life and looking forward to the future, as the image alone is no longer present, but cinema and documentary films have become part of the scene, along with the great photographers and films. And creators in the world of image.

Addressing His Highness the President of the Sharjah Media Council, Allai added: For nine years, you were your Highness and you are still a leader for this trip, put your touches, inspire the work team, and make sure that “Express” remains faithful to his message, and thanks to your directives, the festival has become a strategic project that contributes to raising the criteria of photography globally, and pushes the photographers towards challenge, creativity, and the use of the image, and the use of the image As a tool to change concepts and communicate the truth.

The Director General of the Media Office of the Sharjah Government concluded his speech, thanking him and his appreciation to His Highness the Deputy Ruler of Sharjah for his insightful vision and great support to continue the festival to contain photographers and creators around the world, expressing his pride that the team be part of this success, as he thanked the visual narratives, stressing that they will remain the image and means of the world to explore the world.

His Highness the Chairman of the Sharjah Media and attendance Council witnessed a video that dealt with the scenes of preparation for “Express 2025” and the efforts made to make this event a success, leading to the launch of the festival in its ninth edition and its continuation for 7 days, in addition to the most prominent photographers and their participation, and various attendees of all ages.

His Highness preferred to honor the photographers, filmmakers and guest experts, and the participating Arab and foreign photography associations and federations, in addition to honoring partners and sponsors of the ninth edition of the festival, taking His Highness with the collective photos.

The festival, which lasted from 20 to 26 February, provided the public with the opportunity to identify the experiences of creators, artists and specialists in the visual arts of various types of schools and places around the world, and display a set of works and pictures of the most prominent international photographers, telling various and influential stories, from the issues of nature and the environment, which highlights the beauty of landscapes and the need to protect them from climate changes, along with images documenting wars and conflicts, and conflicts, It transmits the suffering of peoples and the impact of crises on societies.

In a move that reflects the festival’s commitment to keeping pace with contemporary trends, “Express” expanded its horizons this year to include photography based on artificial intelligence, where a new category was included in the “International Awards for Photography” to distinguish digitally produced pictures of those taken by the lenses of the photographers.

The festival witnessed the launch of the fourth session of the Environmental Summit, in which a group of major international photographers and journalists who worked for many years participated in efforts to preserve the environment and biological diversity in various regions.

For seven days, the festival presented a wide range of events that exceeded the wealth of photography, as it hosted a group of the most prominent international photographers and embraced distinguished individual and group exhibitions; The festival also witnessed inspiring discussion sessions and dialogues, as well as cinematic shows for short and long documentary films, in addition to specialized workshops presented by experts in the field of photography, which provided a vital platform for exchanging experiences and inspiration.

The festival activities included evaluation sessions for artistic functioning, and introductory tours that highlight the most prominent features of photography. It also included a commercial exhibition for the most important international brands specialized in photography equipment, in advance of the public an exceptional opportunity to discover the latest innovations and meet creators, artists and specialists in visual arts.

The closing ceremony was attended by His Highness the Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council, Sheikh Saud bin Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Director General of the Sharjah Digital Department, Khaled Jassim Al -Midfa, Chairman of the Commercial and Tourism Development Authority, Muhammad Hassan Khalaf, Director General of the Sharjah Radio and Television Authority, Tariq Saeed Al Alai, Director General of the Media Office of the Sharjah Government, Hassan Yaqoub Al -Mansouri, Secretary General of the Sharjah Media Council, Sharjah Trade and Industry, Abdullah Abdul Rahman Al Shamsi, Director General of the Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority, and a number of senior officials and a group of photographers, artists and guests of the festival.

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