The embassy in May and June ran a photo contest with four categories – portraits, travel, landscapes and Saudi Arabia – all of which I entered. This evening they had much belated event and vote for the best pictures, and amazingly enough I took the best in the show for this picture of the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi, as well as a first place in landscape (from Volubilis in Morocco) and third place in Saudi captures, from Mada’in Saleh! I received SAR 175 ($50) in certificates for the restaurant at the embassy, which I have only been to once in two years here (tonight). Needless to say, I was quite honored.

Textures in the desert, posted earlier: