Filipino photographer Donell Gumiran’s picture of an Emirati women standing on the Abu Dhabi Corniche Beach has won an award at the 2025 Sony World Photography Awards.
Gumiran, a resident of the UAE, won the national prize for his photograph, titled A Timeless Tradition. It shows an elderly Emirati woman dressed in traditional clothing, standing by dhows on the beach. The black and white shot also captures the capital’s high-rises in the distance, creating a mixture of tradition and modernity.
Gumiran, who entered the photograph in the lifestyle category, has had his work published by Forbes, BBC News and Vogue.
All national awards winners receive Sony digital imaging equipment and will be included in the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition and book. The national and regional awards programme is in its 12th year, and aims to support photographic communities worldwide, with contributors from 56 countries participating this year.
Other national winners from the Middle East include Ahmed Abdallah of Egypt, Mohammad Mirza of Kuwait, Mohammed Muhtasib of Saudi Arabia and Mohammed Rafi of Qatar.
The overall winners in the student, youth, open, and professional competitions will be announced on April 16, with an exhibition running from April 17 to May 5 at Somerset House in London.