MoFAIC extends application deadline for 'Zayed’s Gift' competition.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation will extend the application deadline for its national competition to select the best art designs from around the country, which will carry the name, 'Zayed’s Gift', before submitting them to the United Nations, UN, headquarters in New York. 

The application deadline will be extended to 31st July 2018, to enable those interested, whether UAE nationals and residents, to participate, by presenting their designs for the gift, which must be original, have artistic value and reflect the UN’s goal to promote global unity while creatively showcasing the UAE’s cultural traditions.

The UAE plans to present the three winning works of art to the UN, which will be displayed at its headquarters in New York, to coincide with the Year of Zayed.

The participants must be UAE nationals or residents and must submit only one design, which must represent one person or one entity. The artist must also waive design ownership and related rights, including intellectual property rights, to the ministry.

The application process requires the participant to complete an application form with a photo, avoid statues based on famous people, and avoid copying famous works of art. Their art must also be original, and they must submit a description about their work, which should include an explanation of how their art relates to the work of the UN. Every work of art should be visible from at least four angles (front, side, rear, landscape), and those selected should be handed over to the ministry with an official transfer of ownership.

The ministry explained that registering for the competition can be done electronically.

Upon assessement, ten designs will be selected, and participants will be given the opportunity to present them to a jury, which will select the best three designs. The winners will be given the opportunity to visit the UN headquarters in New York and participate in the country’s ceremony during the UN’s 73th General Assembly, as well as in artistic and cultural courses in New York. They can also participate in specialist art courses in a leading art college.