Students from the College of Architecture, Art and Design (CAAD) at AUS won six of the nine juried awards presented at the Sheikha Manal Young Artists Awards ceremony. The fine art, photography, and multimedia awards were presented recently in Dubai by Shaikh Majid Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Culture, in recognition of creative achievement. 

In the fine arts category, the first prize was won by AUS student Saif Mhaisen for his work "Untitled Series - Self Portrait No.3.," whilst Ali Aminu Monguno, with his "Ailumina Onugommnia," won third prize. In the photography category, the first prize was won by Rasha Dakkak for "May You Wake up to a Homeland" and third prize went to Arwa Ramadan for "Another Nude." Ali Aminu Monguno, with his work "The Innocent," was placed first in the multimedia category, while the second prize went to Omnia El Afifi for "Sleep Deprivation." 

A total of 500 entries from 22 countries were received; the final shortlist of 50 entries included 21 students from AUS. The jury of distinguished industry professionals and senior practicing artists included Khalil Abdul Wahid, Visual Arts Manager, Dubai Cultural & Arts Authority; Rami Farook, Director & Curator, Traffic Gallery; Ebtisam Abdulaziz, Emirati Artist; and Ramin Salsali, Art Collector & Founder, The Salsali Private Museum. The top three prizes in each category carried cash awards of AED 30,000, AED 20,000 and AED 10,000 respectively.

Peter Di Sabatino, Dean of the College of Architecture, Art and Design at AUS, remarked, "I congratulate the winners of the Sheikha Manal Young Artists Awards, and I am pleased to note that a high percentage of the 50 shortlisted entries were from AUS. This highlights the excellent work being done by our excellent faculty, who are committed to providing a comprehensive education that enables our graduates to make significant contributions to creative sectors in the region."

Ali Aminu Monguno, AUS student and winner of two awards this year, said, "I am honored to be recognized for my work by the Sheikha Manal Awards and motivated to do even better in future. I would also like to thank our dean, Peter Di Sabatino, for being a big inspiration to students of the College of Architecture, Art and Design and to AUS for providing us with such a great environment, facilities and faculty. Without the combination of all these factors, our work would not have been as good as it is."

The Sheikha Manal Young Artists Awards is not simply a student competition, but an open international competition to all residents of UAE between the ages of 18 and 30. The Fine Art competition invites entries in the mediums of Acrylic, Oil, Water Color, Pastel, Ink, Charcoal, Sculpture, Ceramics, Glass, Print Making, Etching, Mixed media, Gouache or Casein. The Photography category includes Black & White and colored photographs captured by the artist with slight digital modification and printed on flat surfaces including canvas, silk or acrylic sheets. Entries to the Multimedia category inlcudes works in Digital art, Video art or Installation.

Held under the royal patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Women Establishment, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of President Affairs, UAE. The award supports, recognizes and promotes talented individuals in the UAE both nationals and residents who have demonstrated exceptional artistic promise. The competition aims to enrich the local cultural environment by providing opportunities of creative expression and thereby contribute to the artistic movement in the UAE.