NATIONAL AWARDS 2021 SAUDI ARABIA WINNER ANNOUNCED

The World Photography Organisation and Sony Middle East & Africa are delighted to reveal Naif Albugami as Saudi Arabia’s National Award winner for the Sony World Photography Awards 2021.

The National Awards program is an initiative set up by the World Photography Organisation and Sony to support local photographic communities around the world, with 53 countries taking part this year.

Over 330,000 images from 220 territories were submitted to the Sony World Photography Awards 2021 and over 165,000 were entered to the Open competition (from which the National Awards winner was selected).

Naif Albugami was anonymously selected by judges for his photograph ‘Hard Life’, entered into the Portraiture category of the Open competition. This photo was taken to convey a feeling of despair and everything that we have in life has stopped due to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.

Naif Albugami is a Riyadh native with a bachelor’s degree in computer programming. He has been working for seven years as a photographer and has worked with several local press agencies.

Commenting on his win Albugami said: “It’s a wonderful feeling and indescribable joy that made me forget the bitterness of 2020 and all the events that happened in it.”

As Saudi Arabia’s National Award winner, Naif Albugami receives Sony digital imaging equipment.

The overall winners in the Student, Youth, Open and Professional competition of the Sony World Photography Awards 2021 will be announced on the 15 April 2021 via the World Photography Organisation’s digital and video platforms.