© Ibrahim Kandil: Teacher Ruhiya, owner of the Slaughterhouse

Tasweer Single Image Award 2025

We are thrilled to announce the twenty winners of the Tasweer Single Image Award 2025: Abbas Raad Gkrah Al-Jafar, Abdelrahman Abo Lela, Ahmed Abdelfattah Attia Bakir, Ahmed Sharafaldeen Mohamed Ahmed, Alaa Hameed Dakhil Al Mozan, Amer Abunasser, Batool Khnyab, Hamad H, Huda Abdulmughni, Ibrahim Kandil, Lujain Jo, Mansouor Alhassan, Omar Hamdy Eltahan, Reem Albader, Saja Sattar, Seyit Konyali, Shrouq Ashour, Soukaina Bouali, Zahr Eddine Guerniche, and Ziad Almazraany.

The jurors for this fifth year of Tasweer’s Single Image Award are Azu Nwagbogu (Curator and Founder, African Artists’ Foundation, AAF); Mohamed Somji (Director, Gulf Photo Plus, GPP); and Shk. Maryam Hassan Al-Thani (Consultant Curator at Qatar Museums).

Tasweer Awards 2025 Jurors

“ Drought is silently creeping toward what remains of the water heritage and marshes of southern Iraq, where the marshlands are facing the threat of extinction due to climate change and scarce water supplies. Local residents are struggling to survive in land that is no longer suitable for living, and wildlife is disappearing amid a sharp decline in water levels. Future generations face an uncertain future unless urgent measures are taken to preserve this unique natural area. ”

Abbas Raad Gkrah Al-Jafar

“ Every year, nomadic families pass through my village, their children carrying dreams they may never reach. I photographed a group of these children, drawn to the depth in their eyes—eyes filled with questions, wonder, and a quiet desire to learn. They spoke of wanting to go to school, but their mobile life makes it nearly impossible. This image captures more than faces; it reflects interrupted dreams and the silent cost of a life on the move. In their gaze, I saw both resilience and longing—for something as simple, and as distant, as a classroom they may never enter. ”

Abdelrahman Abo Lela

“ A candid photograph depicting daily life inside a house in Upper Egypt, showing the 70-year-old homeowner taking a nap after watching the daily news on television. ”

Ahmed Abdelfattah Attia Bakir

“ This photograph reflects the joy and connection of traditional games, preserving memories and heritage. Katara Cultural Village, Doha, Qatar. ”

Ahmed Sharafaldeen Mohamed Ahmed

“ Amid a suffocating dust storm, women and children move along a harsh, dry path, where the land no longer knows greenery and the sky no longer knows clarity. The image exposes one facet of the harsh reality of climate change in the rural areas of southern Iraq, where desertification and sandstorms impose a new reality, forcing people to adapt or leave. Their weary steps follow a path shaped by environmental policies, the drying of the marshes, and the absence of climate justice. This is not a temporary migration, but a flight from an environment that has become inhospitable to life. ”

Alaa Hameed Dakhil Al Mozan

“ This photograph is part of Amer Abunasser’s series “Gaza Signal of Life” created during the war in northern Gaza. His work documents improvised shelters and the fragile strategies of survival. Using available light and minimal equipment, Amer captures moments that reflect both absence and resilience. The image was taken inside a classroom turned refuge, where the red glow and static framing evoke the tension of waiting. His approach is rooted in urgency, sending images through unstable signals, hoping they reach beyond destruction. Each frame becomes a quiet act of resistance and a trace of life that insists on being seen. ”

Amer Abunasser

“ A woman stands on the bank of a small river, its calm waters reflecting the surrounding palm trees, creating a striking scene that highlights the harmony and connection between humans and nature in the region. ”

Batool Khnyab

“ Captured on Purple Island in Qatar. The work is titled Poison Tree, inspired by William Blake’s poem about hidden emotions that quietly grow stronger. The tree symbolizes that silent weight—its roots unseen beneath the surface, its branches reaching upward as if holding unspoken truths. Shot in monochrome, the image reflects the artist’s belief that “in the absence of color, true beauty shines through,” allowing the stillness and tension of the moment to speak for themselves. ”

Hamad H

“ I have always wished to meet the shepherdesses in Yemen and hear their stories about their way of life, which was the purpose of my trip to Hadramaut. It was not as easy as I had imagined, and I only got my chance on the last day, when I met one of the shepherdesses and walked with her for a while. She spoke to me about her life with great energy and happiness despite her hardships. The shepherdesses wake up early to work in the fields until midday, and return in the afternoon to work until eight at night. They are distinguished by their loose dark clothing and a belt around the waist, and they wear a “qub’oo’” made of palm fronds on their heads. Most of them are unmarried girls or widows, and their work is the primary source of income for their families. ”

Huda Abdulmughni

“ Teacher Ruhiya, the owner of the automated slaughterhouse in the Basateen area in Egypt, is known for being the one who has the final say in the automated slaughterhouse. She is also known for her love of working with her children, especially when she distributes sacrificial meat on Eid. This photo documents her control over work with her children inside the slaughterhouse. ”

Ibrahim Kandil

“ In the Sealine desert of Qatar, at a fleeting hour when the sun tilted just so, light carved the landscape into minimal strokes. Fine white lines traced the dunes, dissolving the boundary between earth and sky. Sand turned white, sky turned white—a perfect convergence where form, light, and silence merged into stillness. In that calm, the desert revealed itself not as emptiness, but as a canvas painted by light—subtle, restrained, and timeless. ”

Lujain Jo

“ A mother’s tenderness always makes you feel like a child longing for the touch of her gentle hands, no matter how old you grow. The photograph captures the bond between a mother and her son, with his head resting on her lap while her hands caress him tenderly. Time has marked her hands with wrinkles, yet it has not diminished their warmth and affection, allowing the man to remain a child in his mother’s embrace. ”

Mansouor Alhassan

“ The photograph captures a moment of calm in nature in the Fayoum Desert, where two people sit by the lakeshore, engaged in conversation against a vast desert landscape that combines simplicity with depth. The image was inspired by the beauty of spontaneous moments that bring people together in places that seem lifeless yet are full of tranquility and meaning, documenting the contrast between the harshness of the desert and the warmth of human connection. Natural lighting and warm color tones were used to highlight the clarity of the sand and the softness of the light, with a simple composition guiding the viewer’s eye toward the two figures to emphasize the idea of beautiful solitude. ”

Omar Hamdy Eltahan

“ This portrait captures the quiet strength of an elderly Ghanaian woman waiting at a temporary eye clinic in her village. Her gaze reflects resilience and the silent struggle of living with untreated vision problems for years. Dressed in a traditional patterned dress and crowned with a golden headscarf, she sits with dignity and grace. Her story mirrors that of countless others in remote communities, where access to healthcare is rare and fleeting. Her expression speaks without words — of patience, endurance, and the universal human hope for healing and restored sight. ”

Reem Albader

“ Temporal Dialogues is part of a series of self-portraits in which I embody my grandmother through costume and gesture. By placing myself in her image, I imagine the life she lived and bridge the distance between our generations, creating a visual conversation across time. Using the historic photographic method of wet plate collodion on tin, I try to capture the spirit of a life lived in a place and time that no longer exist. ”

Saja Sattar

“ 2012 was a very cold year. Lake Beysehir froze over this year. Accessing the water was extremely difficult. Fishermen struggled to break through the ice and reach the water. This was very dangerous. Humanity is helpless against nature, but the struggle is necessary. The fisherman finally reached the water and caught his fish. His family is proud of him. Now he's a hero. ”

Seyit Konyali

“ This pre-dawn photograph at Lake Burullus depicts a strong Egyptian woman, offering support to her husband with love and contentment. ”

Shrouq Ashour

“ Child’s Play (2022) is a self-portrait by Soukaina Bouali, created in Casablanca. Inspired by the photographer's process of introspection and the act of observance, the photograph captures a quiet scene where natural light, handcrafted knits, and subtle contrasts come together to hold a moment, suspended in time and thought. ”

Soukaina Bouali

“ In today’s digital world, children are increasingly drawn to the internet and tablets, which affects their interest in traditional books. While the internet provides countless educational and entertainment resources, spending long hours on it can reduce the time dedicated to reading physical books. Books nurture imagination and critical thinking in unique ways and help develop focus and language skills. It is essential to find a balance between benefiting from technology and encouraging a love of reading to ensure the holistic development of our children. ”

Zahr Eddine Guerniche

“ In the vast desert, a woman stands atop a camel, forming a living pyramid: earth beneath, animal strength in between, humanity above, and the infinite sky crowning all. This vision speaks of harmony reminding us that life is one interconnected web. In this harsh land, the woman and camel embody resilience, unity, and respect for all beings. L’arbre Bo is a love letter to nature, urging us to dissolve hierarchies and honor every form of life as kin. From the smallest bloom to the mightiest tree, we share one journey, bound together in the sacred fabric of existence. ”

Ziad Almazraany