You’ve heard about NYC Democratic candidate for mayor Zohran Mamdani, but what about his US Syrian wife, Rama Duwaji?

Based in Brooklyn, Duwaji creates art that centers on pro-Palestinian and feminist themes. (AFP)
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Updated 26 June 2025
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You’ve heard about NYC Democratic candidate for mayor Zohran Mamdani, but what about his US Syrian wife, Rama Duwaji?

As the United States turns its attention to New York City’s Democratic candidate for mayor Zohran Mamdani, many are eager to learn more about his wife, Rama Duwaji.

Duwaji is an artist of Syrian descent whose work has been featured by acclaimed outlets such as The New Yorker, The Washington Post, BBC, Apple, Spotify, VICE, and the Tate Modern in London. Now based in Brooklyn, Duwaji creates art that centers on political and feminist themes.

Her digital illustrations—prominently showcased on Instagram—often reflect her political beliefs. Among her recent work, Duwaji criticized the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University protester detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on March 8, 2025. She has also spoken out against police violence toward pro-Palestinian demonstrators and spotlighted human interest stories, including intimate portraits of bakers in Gaza.

The couple made headlines six weeks ago when Mamdani shared their wedding photos from earlier this year, displaying them across New York City, including in the subway system, as a public stand against online harassment.

“Rama isn’t just my wife,” Mamdani said. “She’s an incredible artist who deserves to be known on her own terms. You can critique my views, but not my family.”

The pair met on a dating app in New York City and married in December 2024, according to reports. Following Mamdani’s victory in the Democratic primary yesterday, Duwaji posted a black-and-white photo strip of the couple with a simple caption: “Couldn’t possibly be prouder.” 


Tunisian filmmaker wins $1 million AI Film Award

Updated 11 January 2026
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Tunisian filmmaker wins $1 million AI Film Award

DUBAI: The $1 million AI Film Award was given to Tunisian filmmaker Zoubeir Jlassi for his film “Lily” during the fourth edition of the 1 Billion Followers Summit in Dubai.

The prize was awarded by Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority.

The prize was awarded by Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority. (Supplied)

The award, organized by the summit in partnership with Google Gemini, was presented as part of the gathering that focuses on the content creation economy. The event, that ran from Jan. 9–11, brought together more than 15,000 content creators and influencers, alongside over 580 speakers and 150 CEOs under the theme “Content for Good.”

The AI Film Award received 3,500 film submissions. Entries underwent technical evaluation with Google Gemini to ensure at least 70 percent of the production used generative AI tools.

Following jury selection and public voting, “Lily” emerged as the winner from a final group of five nominees, which included “Portrait No. 72,” “Cats Like Warmth,” “HEAL,” and “The Translator.”