United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi: On day five of the 2022 Jewellery & Watch Show, the organizing committee of the Ebda’a Awards announced the winners of this year’s competition. In honour of the awards’ tenth anniversary – and to showcase its dedication to empowering promising talent – a new category, “Creativity Unlimited,” was added to encourage participation from designers in different fields.
Emirati designer, Azza Al Qubaisi, established the Ebda’a Awards as a leading platform to unleash excellence and creativity among emerging jewellery designers. For those looking to break into the industry, the awards present an opportunity to showcase their work in front of a panel of experienced jewellery specialists.
Through offering interactive mentoring and communication with leading jewellery designers, the Ebda’a Awards provide aspiring individuals with the professional development needed to turn their hobbies into careers.
Held in cooperation with the Jewellery & Watch Show and the Ministry of Community Development, the Ebda’a Awards is further supported by strategic sponsor, International Gemstone Institute, and media sponsor, The New Jeweller International Media Group.
The 2022 Ebda’a Awards winners were chosen under the supervision of a five-person jury, including jewellery designer and sculptor, Azza Al Qubaisi, and designers Maha Al Sibai, Sheikha Alserkal, and Noura Alserkal. This year’s guest judge was Saadiah Sulaiman, a previous award recipient who was selected for her hard work, dedication, and creativity.
Since its launch, the competition has attracted more than 500 designers of different nationalities with 150 honourees and 50 first-place winners being selected over the past ten years.
In this year’s edition of the awards, the winners in each of the five design categories were:
Pearls Jewellery Design:
1st place – Ali Al ali
2nd place – Alya Alzaabi
3rd place – Seham Wassouf
Emirati Identity Designs Category:
1st place – Budoor Albudoor
2nd place – Ali Al ali
3rd place – Alhanoof Alsaadi
Arabic Calligraphy-inspired Designs:
1st place: Somaya AbdulMuasin
2nd place: Alhanoof Alsaadi
People of Determination:
1st place: Mahra Mohammed
2nd place: Fatima Al Yamahi
3rd place: Asmaa Al Kahomi
Creativity Unlimited:
1st place – Ayaat Nasser
2nd place – Boubaker Boukhari
3rd place – Naamat Khairallah
Azza Al Qubaisi, founder of the Ebda’a Awards, said: “I’m pleased to be celebrating our tenth anniversary with the launch of the Creativity Unlimited category, which has already seen talented creators from a variety of fields participate in the competition. I also realized that there was a huge demand from designers of different nationalities, particularly in the Emirati ID Designs category, so it’s great to see their love for the UAE and their interest in expressing Emirati culture.”
“The participants’ creativity really stood out in this year’s awards. One of the winners, a male contestant, placed in the top three across two categories – which is especially impressive considering this is a female-dominated industry,” Al Qubaisi said. “I’m excited to see these designers flourish in their work as they continue to develop their skills and bring innovative ideas into the jewellery space.”
Leen Sibai, General Manager at RX Middle East, said: “We believe in empowering up-and-coming talent, so we decided to collaborate with Azza on the Ebda’a Awards. We want it to be a platform that brings creators together, showcases their work, and provides them with the support needed to elevate their skills.”
Ali Al ali, a winner in both the Pearl Jewellery Design and Emirati ID Design categories, said: “As a design student, this is an important achievement that will positively impact my future career. Once I graduate next year, I look forward to establishing my own brand and developing my personal creative touch”.
Ayaat Nasser, winner of the Creativity Unlimited Category, said: “The Ebda’a Awards is a unique opportunity for creators to develop and refine their talents. I’m pleased to win first place in the new Creativity Unlimited category, which was added to celebrate the awards’ ten-year anniversary. Azza is an inspiration to designers like myself, and I’m honoured to receive the award shield that bears her signature.”
Somaya AbdulMuasin, winner of the first place in the Arabic Calligraphy-inspired Design Category, said: “Winning the award was a source of encouragement for me to move forward, to devote my efforts to my craft and seize upcoming opportunities. The Ebda’a Awards has created a great environment that attracts talent and enables them to freely express their ideas.
Samah Ali, Supervisor of Training for People of Determination, said: “We will continue to encourage People of Determination to explore their talents in drawing and design. They have unlimited creative potential, and the Ebda’a Awards is the perfect platform to showcase their abilities.
The Jewellery & Watch Show brings together leading local and international brands to highlight trends and innovations across the gold, jewellery, and diamond sectors. In just five days, JWS 2022 succeeded in attracting thousands of yellow metal, diamond, and pearl lovers. Through hosting the Ebda’a Awards, the event also supported the growth and development of young designers in the region.
