Muscat: The Sultanate of Oman won two gold medals and one bronze medal in the final stage of 'PhotOlympic Russia 2025', held in the city of Saint Petersburg, with the participation of 96 photographers from 15 countries around the world. Photographer Ali Hamad Al Ghafri won the gold medal in the 'long exposure' category, through his artistic photograph titled "I'm Still Waiting".

According to Oman News Agency, photographer Mahmoud Mohammed Al Jabri won the bronze medal in the 'reflection category' for his work titled "Yellow Reflection". The medals were bagged by the two Omanis at the conclusion of a tough competition that lasted 24 consecutive hours.

The organizing committee, affiliated to a non-profit organization named "Professional Photographers Association", imposed strict conditions, including competing in 24 artistic photography categories and submitting entries within just one day (24 hours). This posed the greatest challenge to the photographers, testing their technical readiness and flexibility in working under pressure in terms of time and specialty.

The accomplishment was a fruitful outcome of a deep-rooted artistic career during which the two photographers competed in three advanced stages of rating. They presented 16 photos (covering four main themes) that were shortlisted for the finals of this prestigious international forum.