The Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) has announced Omani photographer Salim Al-Hajri as the winner of the HIPA 2025 Photographer of the Year title during the 14th edition of its annual awards ceremony. The 2025 competition focused on the theme "Power," and Al-Hajri was recognized by the HIPA Awards jury for his compelling documentation of Omani and Arab cultural heritage, as well as his sustained commitment to preserving and transmitting regional traditions through photography.
Al-Hajri's journey into photography began long before he purchased his first professional camera in 2014. As a child and teenager, he developed a keen sensitivity to visual storytelling through magazines, family trips, and an intuitive approach to capturing images. When he finally acquired his first professional camera, he began exploring the medium's possibilities and quickly grasped its narrative potential – the ability to give form and visibility to the stories, traditions, and landscapes that held deep meaning for him.
His development as a photographer was remarkably rapid. Just four years after taking his first professional steps, Al-Hajri organized his first photography workshop in 2018, which was entirely self-funded. The following year, in 2019, he won his first major award in Oman. From that point forward, his photographic practice accelerated significantly as he began assembling an extensive archive that now contains more than 6,000 professional images documenting regional culture and heritage.
Al-Hajri's commitment to documenting Omani heritage reached a significant milestone when his work was featured on the cover of National Geographic, focusing on traditional date production methods. He also received the highest award at the FIAP International Photography Competition as a member of the Omani national team, further establishing his reputation as a leading documentary photographer in the region.
Beyond his personal photographic achievements, Al-Hajri has built a substantial legacy through the educational workshops he leads. To date, more than 3,000 photographers have participated in his programs. These workshops are entirely self-financed and managed by his team, reflecting both his independence as an artist and his conviction that sharing knowledge is a fundamental cultural responsibility. Many of these workshops focus specifically on Omani traditions, desert life, and the documentation of rural communities.
One of his most notable projects is the Al Sharqiyah Sands photography workshop, conducted in collaboration with photographer Samir bin Isa Al Busaidi in the Wahiba Sands desert. This immersive program places participants directly in the desert environment, allowing them to experience and document the daily lives of the desert's inhabitants. Other significant workshops include programs dedicated to the Moroccan equestrian tradition of Tbourida and the extensive "We Are Oman" series, which demonstrate his desire to extend his photographic vision beyond Oman's borders and highlight the cultural richness of the broader Arab world.
These educational initiatives have expanded Al-Hajri's influence well beyond Oman's borders. His work has been exhibited by prestigious institutions such as Qatar Museums, and his approach to showcasing Oman's visual richness through workshops has become inseparable from his mission to develop a regional photographic culture and enhance the visibility of Arab traditions worldwide. The workshops have also contributed significantly to tourism, as the images produced and shared by participants have offered international audiences fresh perspectives on Omani customs, landscapes, and communities.
Receiving the HIPA Photographer of the Year title was a particularly memorable moment for Al-Hajri, who learned of his victory while filming what he initially believed would be an ordinary video. However, he views this prestigious award not as the culmination of his career but as the beginning of a new chapter in his artistic and cultural mission. His long-term vision is expansive and clearly defined: starting from his foundation in Oman, he aims to extend his documentary work to encompass the diverse cultures of the Gulf region and eventually the entire Arab world.
Al-Hajri's ultimate ambition is to build a comprehensive, interconnected visual record that serves as a living archive of regional traditions, celebrating the diversity and depth of Arab identities across different nations and communities. The HIPA award provides him with enhanced visibility, new opportunities for collaboration, and the platform to pursue long-envisioned projects that combine heritage preservation, artistic ambition, and a profound commitment to cultural transmission for future generations.
