San Diego CA— Moin Ahmed, from Bangladesh, has been named as the winner of CBRE Group, Inc.’s Urban Photographer of the Year competition. Mr. Ahmed’s image, “The Man’s Stare,” captures the entrancing visage of a train rider during a rainy day in Dhaka, Bangladesh. With more than 29,000 entries from 111 countries, the competition’s 10^th year was its largest.
Regional winners were also named. The Americas prize was awarded to Conner Schuh from the United States for his entry, “Golden Hour on Tower Bridge,” depicting a young skateboarder gliding across the Tower Bridge in Sacramento, USA. The EMEA prize was awarded to Pedro Luis Ajuriaguerra Saiz from Spain for his entry, “The Block,” a photograph that gives a captivating insight into daily life at an apartment complex located in Bilbao, Spain. The Asia Pacific prize went to K. M. Asad from Bangladesh for his entry, “Off to Home,” a striking image of a man riding between two train cars in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
The annual competition, which offers unprecedented insight into urban life, is run by CBRE, the world’s leading commercial real estate services and investment firm. Amateur and professional photographers were challenged to capture moments of connectivity across the daily urban life through the brief, “Cities of Connections: People, Places, Perspectives.”
Martin Samworth, Chief Executive Officer, Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), CBRE, said, “Every year, the competition gives us a fascinating look into our ever-changing urban environments, with 2016 being no exception. I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to what has been a record year for this global competition.”
 The top prize is a special photography trip to a destination of the winner’s choice for themselves and a friend. Regional winners will receive photography drones.
Paul Suchman, CBRE’s Global Chief Marketing Officer, says, “The competition continues to serve as a source of inspiration and creativity, celebrating the richness and diversity of city life. The volume and broad range of images received this year underscores the power of our brief, “Cities of Connections,” to resonate across markets and cultures. We are humbled to have the unique opportunity to play a role in capturing and celebrating stories of the modern urban environment.”
In acknowledgment of all photographs submitted, CBRE will donate £10,000 to Plan International, CBRE’s EMEA charity partner. The donation will support the global NGO’s work in advancing children’s rights and equality for girls. CBRE has recently embarked on a new two-year project with Plan International called Safer Cities which will help create a safer living environment for thousands of girls in Nairobi, Kenya.  This new project is a natural extension of the significant work CBRE has been doing with Plan in Sierra Leone since 2014 where CBRE EMEA raised over £1 million – giving an education to a generation of children, particularly girls.