Kuwaiti photographers are making waves on the international stage, and the recent results from the prestigious Travel Photographer of the Year 2025 competition are a testament to their talent. Two Kuwaiti artists, Mohammad Murad and Suliman Alatiqi, have secured top positions in the competition, which attracted over 20,000 images from more than 160 countries. This achievement highlights the growing recognition of Kuwaiti artistry and the power of photography to tell compelling stories about our world.
## Kuwaiti Photographers Shine at Travel Photographer of the Year 2025
The Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) competition is renowned globally for its high standards and discerning judging panel. This year’s contest proved particularly competitive, making the success of Murad and Alatiqi even more remarkable. Their awards not only bring individual accolades but also elevate the profile of photography in Kuwait and the wider region. The competition’s focus on travel and the natural world provides a platform for photographers to showcase the beauty and fragility of our planet, and the Kuwaiti winners addressed this with distinct and powerful visions.
## Mohammad Murad’s Award-Winning Fox Portfolio
Mohammad Murad achieved the highest honor for a Kuwaiti entrant, winning first place in the Portfolio category. This category, demanding a narrative told through a cohesive body of work, truly allowed Murad’s storytelling ability to shine. His winning series focuses on the Arabian red fox, documenting their increasing presence near Kuwait City.
### Documenting Environmental Change
Murad spent two months meticulously observing and tracking a group of these foxes in the Doha area, close to the sea. He deliberately chose this location and sustained focus to visually represent a worrying trend: the shrinking of the foxes’ natural habitat. As desert areas become increasingly inhospitable, these animals are forced closer to urban environments, adapting to a new, more challenging existence.
His work isn’t simply a beautiful depiction of wildlife; it’s a poignant commentary on environmental change and its direct impact on local fauna. The images powerfully convey the delicate balance between wildlife and human development. He also received an Excellence Award in the Wildlife, Sealife, Birdlife category for a stunning shot taken in Tanzania, featuring a baby elephant and its mother, demonstrating his diverse skills. The image from Tanzania utilized intentional camera movement (ICM) to create a unique, painterly effect, adding an artistic dimension to his wildlife photography.
Remarkably, one of the winning fox images has already garnered significant international recognition, securing 12 awards prior to this latest triumph – bringing the total to an impressive 13. Murad expressed his joy, stating his ultimate goal is “raising Kuwait’s name high in global forums and leaving a Kuwaiti mark on the international art scene.”
## Suliman Alatiqi Captures Underwater Beauty
Joining Murad in the accolades, Suliman Alatiqi secured second place in the Single Image category for Landscape, Weather and Climate. His breathtaking photographs were taken in Quintana Roo, Mexico, showcasing the mesmerizing underwater gardens of water lilies.
### A Composition of Nature’s Colors
Alatiqi’s images seamlessly blend the submerged beauty of the lilies with the vibrant greenery above the water’s surface. He skillfully composed his photographs to highlight nature’s primary colors, creating a visually stunning and harmonious composition. He mentioned that one of the images had previously achieved third place in the DPG Masters 2025 underwater photography competition, signifying his consistent high-quality work.
Alatiqi described his achievement at the Travel Photographer of the Year 2025 as a “major personal and professional achievement,” emphasizing the difficulty of competing against such a talented international field. The competition’s judging panel, comprised of leading photographers, editors, and industry experts, adds further weight to his recognition.
The success of both Mohammad Murad and Suliman Alatiqi is a powerful message about the potential and creativity within the Kuwaiti artistic community. Their work demonstrates both technical mastery and a compelling narrative voice, placing them firmly among the best travel photographers in the world.
This victory is sure to inspire a new generation of Kuwaiti photographers to pursue their passion and share their unique perspectives with the globe. We can expect continued excellence from these artists and a growing representation of Kuwaiti talent at future installments of the Travel Photographer of the Year competition and other prominent photography events. Supporting artists like Murad and Alatiqi is critical to fostering a thriving arts scene in Kuwait and beyond. Their success encourages further exploration and innovation in photographic storytelling.
