Abu Dhabi, Nov 5 (IANS/WAM) Photographers from all around the world have been invited to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to participate in a photography competition that would reflect the desert's rich culture which has affected the Arab and Western societies alike.

The Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) has announced the opening of the third session of the "Al Dhafra Festival in Photographer's Eye", a photo contest that would take place from Dec 16 to 26 in Madinat Zayed region.

The ADACH said in a statement that it believes in the value of photographs as "living documents that transfer real events and archives them into a sense of aesthetic sensitivity".

The competition would boost the photography movement in the UAE, create greater communication between different generations, increase environmental awareness, revive interest in heritage along with technological, artistic and cultural developments, and shed light on the desert's Bedouin community and their patterns of life.

"The historical value of the rich desert culture has affected Arab and Western societies alike, prompting a number of early orientalists, explorers and travellers to go deep into the unknown to search for its magic and learn from its legacy through photographs," it said.