A page of more or less local competitions, open calls, residencies and other opportunities open to the Gulf’s creative community
Ajman Photography Award
PHOTOGRAPHY
DEADLINE 20 February 2026
Submit a photo or a photo essay taken in Ajman. Cash prizes for six winners
- Submissions are limited to photographs captured within the Emirate of Ajman (including Masfout and Manama – submissions are not limited to Ajman City). The Award “encourages photographers not only to see Ajman as it is, but to capture it as it is meant to be felt … expressing the spirit of [the emirate] through light, feeling, and imagination rather than words”
- Two categories:
– General submit one photo only: 1st prize AED 10,000 2nd AED 8,000 3rd AED 7,000
– Photo Essay min 5 max 10 photos: 1st prize AED 20,000 2nd AED 15,000 3rd AED 10,000
– nb: the same photo must not be submitted twice - Submissions must be …
– JPEG
– min 300dpi
– min 5MB
– longest edge min 2000px
– free of references or marks added by the participant - Submissions from mobile phones and drones are allowed
- Basic editing is acceptable, provided it does not affect the authenticity and/or genuineness of the photo. Advanced editing inc compositing and creative retouching is prohibited
- Shortlisted entrants grant organiser HIPA a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free rights and license to use images for promotional purposes (this is normal)
- Online submission only – use this link
- No indication of how or when winners will be selected, or if shortlisted entries will be shown somewhere
- No entry fee
- Min age 18
- Cash prizes for General category
– 1st: AED 10,000
– 2nd: AED 8,000
– 3rd: AED 7,000 - Cash prizes for Photo Essay category
– 1st: AED 20,000
– 2nd: AED 15,000
– 3rd: AED 10,000
Open Call: Collage Art Exhibition
2D ART
DEADLINE 28 February 2026
Kutubna Cultural Center invites submissions (physical or digital) for an upcoming exhibition of collage
- Submit up to five works
- Submissions must be original, created by the artist, and “reflect their own creative process and craftsmanship”
- Works must be ready for wall display
- Artists may submit physical or digital works:
– Physical (Traditional) Collage Handmade artworks using materials such as paper, magazines, newspapers, photographs, mixed media elements, fabric, found objects, or other physical materials. Works must be securely assembled and suitable for wall display (framed or mountable)
– Digital Collage Created using digital tools and software such as Procreate, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Krita, Clip Studio Paint, or other conventional digital art software. May include scanned physical elements combined digitally. Digitally created artworks must be printed, framed, and ready for wall display. Note: AI-generated artworks are not permitted - Selection by the Kutubna Cultural Center Curatorial Team. Results will be shared by email with artists by 9 March. Exhibition dates: 25 April – 16 June 2026
- Apply via online form or by email to info@kutubna.ae with …
– Personal info
– Artwork details for each work (up to 5 submissions) …
> Title
> Medium (for physical collage – list materials used: for digital collage – list software used)
> Dimensions in cm
> Year of creation
> Artist statement (max 200w)
> Detailed description of method and process (max 200w)
> Image as JPEG or PNG // - No entry fee
- None stated
- Participation in exhibition at Kutubna Cultural Centre 25 April – 16 June
Rove Hotels Emerging Artist Prize
ART
DEADLINE 31 March 2026
Apply to be part of the shortlist exhibit at World Art Dubai 2026; one Grand Winner gets a booth at WAD 2027, one People’s Prize winner gets AED 5,000
- Collaboration between Rove Hotels and World Art Dubai, “attracting thousands of entries every year”
- Submit works on the theme Threads of Connection (“encourages artists to explore human connection in the digital age, how relationships, communication, and empathy evolve as technology intertwines with daily life”)
- Submissions:
– Accepted media: images, illustrations, animations, 2D and 3D digital art
– Min resolution: 1000×1000px
– Accepted formats: JPEG, GIF, PNG, MP4
– No indication of how many works can be submitted (we’d guess one per entry) - Shortlist announced by 13 April 2026, contains up to 10 works (we assume only one work per submission and per artist)
- Shortlisted artworks will be displayed at the Rove Hotels’ Emerging Artist Prize stand at World Art Dubai (23-26 April at DWTC)
- Two winners will be selected from shortlist:
– Grand Winner, selected by jury (prize: exhibition space at World Art Dubai 2027)
– People’s Choice Winner, chosen by the public (presumably at WAD – prize: AED 5,000) - Selection jury comprises …
– Petra Kaltenbach, World Art Dubai Art Advisor
– Samar Kamel, World Art Dubai Curator
– unspecified members of Rove Hotels Design Team - No entry fee
- None stated (though there is no definition for what constitues an “emerging” artist)
- Participation in shortlist exhibition at World Art Dubai 2026 (total of 10 artworks on show)
- Grand Prize:
– one work selected by jury from shortlist
– complimentary space to exhibit at World Art Dubai 2027
– one-night stay at Rove Hotels - People’s Choice Award:
– one work selected by public vote (no indication how this works)
– AED 5,000 cash
– one-night stay at Rove Hotels
Open Call: Three-month studio residence
ART
DEADLINE 6 April 2026
Apply for one of three three-month residencies in Dubai (studio space plus mentorship) leading to an exhibition at Fann à Porter
- Three residences for UAE-based visual artists
- Residencies run 25 May – 29 Aug
- Residency includes …
– Individual spaces with wall hanging space within a shared warehouse in Al Quoz
– “feedback and mentorship” from Fann À Porter gallery team - Not included: art supplies, financial remuneration
- Applications invited from visual artists (no restriction on format) at any stage of their career
- Residencies culminate in a group exhibition at Fann À Porter gallery in September 2026
- Apply by email to info@fannaporter.com with …
– portfolio
– “brief outline of your intentions for the residency“ - No entry fee
- Must be UAE-based
- Studio space and mentorship for three months
- Participation in group exhibition Sept 2026