Captivating Stories – Xposure 2017

His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, inaugurated the second edition of the International Photography Festival (Xposure) 2017, the region’s biggest photography event of its kind, with the participation of a galaxy of the world’s most celebrated photographers and leading international brands.

Present at the opening ceremony were Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Thani, Head of Statistics and Community Development Department, Sheikh Fahim bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Head of Government Relations Department, Sheikh Faisal bin Saud Al Qasimi, Director of Sharjah International Airport Authority, Sheikh Majid bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Director of the Department of Suburbs and Villages Affairs, HE Khawla Al Mulla, Chairperson of the Sharjah Consultative Council, HE Rashid Ahmed bin Al Sheikh, Chairman of the Sharjah Amiri Court, HE Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, HE Khamis bin Salem Al Suwaidi, Chairman of the Department of Suburbs and Villages Affairs, HE Ali Salem Al Madfa, Chairman of Sharjah International Airport Authority, HE Hana Saif Al Suwaidi, Chairperson of Sharjah Environment and Protected Areas Authority, HE Khalid Jassem Al Madfa, Chairman of Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, HE Mohammed Obaid Al Zaabi, Head of Protocol and Hospitality Department, HE Dr Khalid Omar Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah Media City, and a number of officials and directors, as well as HE Tariq Saeed Allay, Director of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau, and a group of photography specialists from around the world.

Themed ‘Captivating Stories’, Xposure 2017 spreads across an area of 9,000 square meters at Expo Centre Sharjah and included 27 indoor and outdoor exhibitions, featuring work by 32 internationally recognized photographers and being held at public places in Sharjah and Dubai. The Festival is organized by the Sharjah Government Media Bureau, the media and communication arm of the Sharjah Government. 

During the launch, His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah attended Paul Nicklen’s “Polar Obsession” keynote session, followed by a tribute to the late Anja Niedringhaus offered by Muhammed Muheisen, and finally Lars Boering’s comments on responsible journalism.

This year’s edition of Xposure also featured an exhibition by the Pulitzer Prize-winning Palestinian photojournalist Muhammed Muheisen, whose selection of 12 photos titled ‘Faces of Sharjah’ was exclusively displayed at the festival. An exhibition featuring the work of the 17 winners of the festival’s photography competition, which saw entries from 10,000 photographers from 98 countries around the world, was also being held as part of Xposure 2017.

Xposure 2017 was sponsored by a large number of international brands, foremost of which is Sony Corporation (the festival’s official sponsor), along with Panasonic, Nikon, Fujifilm, and Tokina. Other leading brands participating include Manforotto Hasselblad, Jedox UK’s Future PLC, Bronkar Bro Foto, Nessie, Elinchrom and Zeiss.