Mosab Abushama and Samar Abu Elouf, alumni of the Arab Documentary Photography Program (ADPP), have been recognized at the 2025 World Press Photo Contest for their compelling visual storytelling amid conflict. Their work stood out among nearly 60,000 entries submitted by 3,778 photographers from 141 countries.
Mosab Abushama, a Sudanese photographer and visual storyteller, won in the Africa Singles category for his photograph Life Won’t Stop. Taken in Omdurman, Sudan —a city regularly hit by airstrikes— the image captures a man posing with a gun during his wedding, a poignant reflection of the entanglement of war and everyday life. Mosab’s work explores cultural identity, conflict, and human endurance. He is currently pursuing an M.F.A. at the School of Visual Arts in New York City.
Palestinian photojournalist Samar Abu Elouf was awarded in the West, Central, and South Asia Singles category for her portrait Mahmoud Ajjour, Aged Nine. The photograph features Mahmoud, a young boy from Gaza who lost both arms in an Israeli attack in March 2024. Now receiving medical treatment in Qatar, he is learning to adapt, using his feet for daily tasks. Samar, who herself evacuated from Gaza in December 2023, has since dedicated her work to documenting the experiences of wounded Gazans receiving treatment abroad. While in Gaza, Samar covered the impact of war on women and children, and her work was recognized by the George Polk Award for Photojournalism, Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism Award, AP Photojournalism Award and participated in the 2024 Joop Swart Masterclass.
Mosab Abushama and Samar Abu Elouf are beneficiaries of the Arab Documentary Photography Program (ADPP), a joint program by the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC), the Prince Claus Fund, and Magnum Foundation. Their recognition by World Press Photo highlights the vital role of such initiatives in supporting regional photographers to tell urgent, underreported stories from their communities.