Creative Habitat of Dubai: Ali bin Thalith

“As a wildlife photographer, you have to capture an image that people have not yet seen. It It should evoke a sensation they never felt before!”

Ali Bin Thalith, 1976, From the collection of: Dubai Culture & Arts Authority
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3 year old Ali playing at home in Jumeirah, Dubai, UAE., Ali Bin Thalith, 1976, From the collection of: Dubai Culture & Arts Authority
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Ali bin Thalith is a wildlife photographer, largely pursuing marine life. He began his career in 1995 and, a decade later, turned his attention to underwater photography.

His interest in wildlife was stimulated by the childhood trips into the desert with his father, while the pursuit of underwater photography too seems to have been a natural choice: his father was a diver.

Creative Habitat - Ali Khalifa Bin ThalithDubai Culture & Arts Authority

The launch of the documentary film titled ‘The Gaza Diver’, Ali Bin Thalith, 2012, From the collection of: Dubai Culture & Arts Authority
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The UAE – Jordan Refugee camp, Ali Bin Thalith, 2016, From the collection of: Dubai Culture & Arts Authority
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He has participated in many underwater expeditions across Asia. Notable among his socially committed work are the establishment of an educational program for the children of Sipadan and a short film that documents the hopes of a young amputee, who travels to Dubai for treatment.

Ali presents a copy of his underwater photography book titled ‘Truly, Madly, Deeply’ to HH Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah., Ali Bin Thalith, 2017, From the collection of: Dubai Culture & Arts Authority
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Xposure International Photography Festival, Sharjah, UAE., Ali Bin Thalith, 2017, From the collection of: Dubai Culture & Arts Authority
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Internationally recognized as an underwater photographer, Bin Thalith holds diplomas in photography as well as French language and literature. His book ‘Truly, Madly, Deeply” features some of the rarest and the most beautiful species living in the depths of the oceans.

Ali in Zanzibar, Tanzania, Ali Bin Thalith, 2008, From the collection of: Dubai Culture & Arts Authority
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Ali Bin Thalith in Kenya, Ali Bin Thalith, 2015, From the collection of: Dubai Culture & Arts Authority
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A Filming mission in Oman, Ali Bin Thalith, 2006, From the collection of: Dubai Culture & Arts Authority
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Ali Bin Thalith during a photography mission in Mangrove Beach Ajman, UAE., Ali Bin Thalith, 2012, From the collection of: Dubai Culture & Arts Authority
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In 2014, Bin Thalith became the first Emirati and Arab recipient of the International Photographic Council’s (IPC) Professional Photographer Leadership Award for his body of work. He commends the contribution of Dubai in supporting artists, by facilitating valuable contacts and providing exposure at exhibitions.

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