It wins a top prize of $10,000 in a global competition, which highlights the essential role that concrete plays around the world.

The photo, taken by professional photographer, Ferdz Bedana, in Sharjah, was announced as the overall winner in a live Instagram broadcast, on 15th February. It was selected from more than 14,000 photos submitted by both amateur and professional photographers from every continent, in the annual competition run by the Global Cement and Concrete Association.

Thomas Guillot, GCCA chief executive, said: “Concrete is the second most used substance on earth after water and plays a vital part in modern infrastructure and society. Through the work of the GCCA and our members, to implement our 2050 Net Zero Roadmap, we are working hard and making progress in reducing its environmental impact. These amazing photos capture the appeal of concrete design and the essential role it plays in modern life and communities everywhere.”

Entrants from around the world submitted photos across four categories: concrete infrastructure, concrete beauty and design, urban concrete, and concrete in daily life, with each section divided between professional photographers and amateurs, often with smartphones. The breadth and variety of all the entries highlight the way concrete supports life around the world, from the giant to the small form, as well as the material’s grace, beauty and crucial supporting role.

Eight category winners each receive a prize of $2,500 each. As well as Ferdz Bedana’s skateboarder image, the category winners include images of a waterfall and a roller-skater race, both taken in Indonesia, a stunning city interchange in China, rice mills in Bangladesh, a university building in Mexico, a metro station in Dubai and a Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.

Ferdz Bedana who took the overall Concrete in Life Photo of Year in Sharjah, said: “It’s a great honour to be the overall winner of the Concrete in Life 2022 competition and spread the story of how concrete is a big contribution in our life. I was interested to take a photo of this skatepark when I saw a boy enjoying playing in a substantially artistic concrete design.”

Chris George, content director at Digital Camera World, and one of the competition judges said about the winning photo: “This was an amazing capture, that perfectly shows the energy of skateboarding against the organic form of the manmade structure.”

Fellow judge, freelance writer and photographer Norman Miller added: “It’s a real skill to capture fast moving subject while showing mastery of framing and control of lighting.”

Thomas Guillot, GCCA chief executive, added: “Congratulations to Ferdz Bedana and all our category winners. Check out our website to see all the shortlisted entries who were all outstanding.”

The GCCA and its member companies, which account for 80% of global cement production capacity outside of China, as well as key Chinese manufacturers, are committed to reducing and eliminating CO2 emissions through implementation of the Concrete Future - 2050 Net Zero Roadmap – the first heavy industry to set out such a detailed plan.