His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council, attended on Monday morning the opening of the 5th “Conservation Summit”, held under the theme “Troubled Waters”, as part of the 10th edition of the Xposure International Photography Festival, taking place in Aljada.
Xposure a beacon making Sharjah a capital of visual and human awareness
In her speech, Her Excellency Dr Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, affirmed that the Xposure International Photography Festival has become a beacon that has made Sharjah a capital of imagery and human awareness, inspired by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, who has reinforced thr belief in the role of the arts as a first line of defence for societal values and the UAE’s natural environment.
UAE efforts to protect marine life
The Minister highlighted the UAE’s efforts to protect marine life, saying: “Although we are children of the desert, we are also children of the sea. It has long been an essential part of our culture and heritage since the days of pearl diving. We recognised this balance early and followed the path of the Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may he rest in peace, who planted mangrove trees with his own hands, recognising them as a green shield for our coasts and a natural carbon store. Ocean health will be the message we carry to the United Nations Water Conference 2026, which we will host later this year.”
Xposure reflects Sharjah’s belief in culture and creativity
For her part, Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, said Sharjah has a long cultural history and has always been the cultural centre of the UAE. She noted that Xposure reflects the emirate’s belief in culture and creativity and in the power of images to deepen understanding, raise awareness, and protect nature.
She said: “The relationship between people and nature has shaped life in this region for centuries. From the Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, we inherited a deep respect for nature that remains present in our language, poetry, and traditions.”
Media and documentation efforts in protecting nature
Al Mubarak pointed to the media and documentation efforts that support nature conservation, noting that the ocean covers more than 70% of the Earth’s surface, regulates the climate, absorbs heat and carbon, feeds billions, and supports global trade and weather systems. She stressed that photography and cinema play a vital role in storytelling, building records and evidence, preserving memory and history, and creating an emotional bond with nature that encourages communities to respond. Photographers and filmmakers make the invisible visible, document what science measures, and speak to both hearts and minds.
Environment at the heart of visual storytelling
Her Excellency Alia Al Suwaidi, Director of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau, said the Conservation Summit within the 10th edition of Xposure places environmental issues at the core of visual storytelling and sends a clear message about the role of imagery in shaping environmental awareness. She noted that marine ecosystems and coral reefs that support a large share of biodiversity are now on the brink of disappearance, including rare species such as the endangered Angelshark.
Images unify the message of shared responsibility
Al Suwaidi stressed the festival’s role in highlighting environmental issues, adding: “These images confirm that what we stand to lose is greater than a beautiful shot. The oceans absorb about 91% of excess heat and around 29% of carbon emissions, yet they are threatened by pollution, industrial activity, and overfishing. Images help unify the message of our shared responsibility and bring together photographers, researchers, and decision-makers to build a common language that leads to actionable policies and more planet-friendly daily behaviour.”
The Living Sea: A Fight for Our Oceans
The opening ceremony included a session titled “The Living Sea: A Fight for Our Oceans,” featuring Sheikh Fahim bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Department of Government Relations, and internationally renowned photojournalist Brian Skerry. They discussed the role of visual storytelling in communicating complex environmental issues to the public and stressed that combining scientific knowledge with powerful imagery can turn awareness into responsible action.
The session addressed the importance of ocean health, noting that oceans cover about three-quarters of the Earth’s surface and represent nearly 98% of the biosphere where life can exist, underscoring their critical importance to humans and other living beings and their essential role in human respiration.
Speakers said the past five or six decades have seen a sharp decline in marine life, with humans depleting 90% of large fish stocks and destroying more than half of coral reefs, while dumping around 18 billion pounds of plastic into oceans each year. Recent studies indicate a 73% loss in marine life over the past 50 years, although some whale populations have shown signs of recovery.
Five exhibitions in the Ocean and Marine Environment Protection Zone
The “Conservation Summit “programme features five exhibitions in the Ocean and Marine Environment Protection Zone and also includes six inspiring talks hosted at the X Platform.
To support underwater photography enthusiasts, Xposure is offering a four-hour workshop titled “Tips and Tricks in Underwater Photography,” covering the fundamentals of underwater shooting.
Attendees
The summit opening was attended, alongside the Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, by Sheikh Fahim bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Department of Government Relations; Sheikha Jawaher bint Abdullah Al Qasimi, Director General of Rubu’ Qarn Foundation for Creating Leaders and Innovators; Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi, Environmental Adviser to the Ajman Government; Her Excellency Dr Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment; Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, President of IUCN; Khaled Al Huraimel, CEO of BEEAH; Ali Salem Al Mehairi, Chairman of Sharjah City Municipal Council; senior officials, photographers, environmental scientists, specialists, ocean explorers from around the world, and media representatives.
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Attached Images:
1-5 | His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council, during the opening of the 5th “Conservation Summit”, held under the theme “Troubled Waters”, as part of the 10th edition of the Xposure International Photography Festival.
6 | Her Excellency Dr Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment
7 | Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature
8 | Sheikh Fahim bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Department of Government Relations
9 | Her Excellency Alia Al Suwaidi, Director of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau
10 | General images during the opening of the 5th “Conservation Summit”, held under the theme “Troubled Waters”, as part of the 10th edition of the Xposure International Photography Festival.
Link of HD images: https://we.tl/t-BGXPXLTwYU
Video Link: https://we.tl/t-RGl1cjM2fb