President Sheikh Mohamed meets photographer Noura Al Neyadi in his majlis at Qasr Al Bahar

Emirati anthropologist has gained attention for her pictures documenting different cultures and traditions

President Sheikh Mohamed with photographer Noura Al Neyadi. Photo: Rashed Al Mansoori / UAE Presidential Court

Emirati photographer and anthropologist Noura Al Neyadi has expressed her joy at meeting President Sheikh Mohamed at his majlis in Abu Dhabi.

Sheikh Mohamed met Al Neyadi at Qasr Al Bahar on Wednesday and learnt about the various initiatives and projects she has undertaken in the UAE and abroad, state news agency Wam reported.

Al Neyadi also shared stories and challenges she encountered while taking pictures of architecture and other landmarks.

Sheikh Mohamed encouraged her to continue documenting different traditions and cultures, and to promote understanding and collaboration through photography.

"I'm pleasured and overly honoured to share this moment with His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Talking about international projects and initiatives. Serving our leaders and the UAE is a never-stopping lifelong mission," Al Neyadi posted on Instagram, along with a photo of the meeting.

Al Neyadi was recently in the news for her work in Chad where she spent 30 days documenting the beauty of the central African country and learning how a reduction in water levels in Lake Chad has affected the livelihoods of millions.

The trip also led to a partnership with Emirates Red Crescent to build wells across the country.

This isn't the first time Al Neyadi has been in the news. In 2020, she made headlines with her photography series Eyes & Stories. For the project, she spent three weeks in Covid-19 screening centres in Al Ain and Abu Dhabi photographing 149 volunteers, nurses, doctors, security guards and cleaners as they went about their jobs each day testing thousands of UAE citizens for the virus.

She chose to use her iPhone instead of her DSLR camera to get more natural reactions from her subjects.

"I saw these beautiful eyes trapped behind the masks. I wanted to capture the feelings of the eyes behind them," she told The National.

"These are the people who have put their whole entire lives on pause to help the community."