The Next Generation Photography Award has received more than 900 submissions from around the world ahead of its deadline tomorrow.

Organised by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry in collaboration with the Hamdan bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award, HIPA, the award is one of the activities scheduled for the upcoming 4th Global Business Forum, GBF, on Africa, which is set to take place on 1st and 2nd November, 2017, at Dubai’s Madinat Jumeirah, under the theme ‘Next Generation Africa’.

The entries draw attention to the cultural similarities between the UAE and Africa, and underline their potential for fostering strong, positive relations between countries and peoples. The submissions will be announced during the Africa Live event on 1st November at the GBF on Africa.

Hamad Buamim, President and CEO of the Dubai Chamber, said, "The high turnout for the award among young people from all around the world demonstrates that this segment of society is particularly drawn to innovative initiatives, and passionate about reaching out to other cultures and building bridges of communication and interaction among peoples."

"These creative young people have masterfully used their lenses to highlight the common cultural traits between the UAE and the African continent," he added, while shedding light on the unique and rich economic and cultural environments of each region.

Secretary-General of HIPA, Ali Khalifa bin Thalith, said, "The quality of submissions received in this competition is a testament to how passionate young photographers are in their quest to showcase the beauty of the African continent. Through this competition and the magic of photography, we have been able to identify many similarities between Africa and the UAE that we were not aware of and as a result can hopefully come up with ways to bring us even closer. Photography is one of man’s best tools to transcend boundaries, and we are glad that we were able to build bridges between societies through this competition and hope to continue to work on such initiatives in the near future."

The award, which has been receiving entries since 18th September through the hashtag #HIPAContest_NxtGenPhoto on Instagram, offers an ideal platform to exhibit and share the creative works of youth from around the world that shed light on the geographical and cultural aspects the UAE has in common with African countries.

The 4th Global Business Forum engages key business and government leaders in developing trade and exploring new investment opportunities in emerging markets. Over the years, the forums have welcomed 10 heads of state, 74 ministers and dignitaries, 5,400 CEOs and other high-ranking delegates from 65 countries around the world.