In a world where the swiping motion on a dating app can open doors to unexpected new chapters, the meeting between Zohran Mamdani, who recently made history as the first Muslim and youngest mayor of New York City, and his wife Rama Duwaji is testament to love in the digital age. Their story is equal parts modern romance and cultural convergence: Duwaji, a Brooklyn-based Syrian-American multimedia artist, and Mamdani, a rising political leader, met not in a campaign office but on the dating app Hinge.
Who Is Rama Duwaji? Who Met NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Hinge-Overview
| Article on | Who Is Rama Duwaji? Who Met NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Hinge |
| Name | Rama Duwaji |
| Profession | Syrian-American multimedia artist |
| Met Zohran Mamdani | On the dating app Hinge |
| Married | December 2024 |
| Wedding Locations | New York, Dubai, and Uganda |
Who Is Rama Duwaji?
Rama Duwaji is a 27-year-old Syrian-American artist based in Brooklyn, New York. Her creative practice gravitates toward portraiture and moving image, where she explores identities, migration, displacement and communal resilience. Her work has appeared in prestigious outlets such as The New Yorker, The Washington Post, the BBC, Apple, Spotify, and at London’s Tate Modern.
Raised with the cultural legacy of Syria and familiar with the diasporic experience, Duwaji channels these themes into her visual language: she blends personal storytelling with socio-political commentary, using colour, movement and form to highlight the ties of sisterhood, collective nuance and the impact of migration.
How Did They Meet on Hinge?
The intersection of algorithm and serendipity played out in the story of Mamdani and Duwaji. In a candid Instagram video posted on 22 June, Mamdani revealed that he found his future wife on Hinge, adding with a laugh: “Dating apps still work, just to let people know.”
Their connection began online: Mamdani swiped (or matched) and began engaging with Duwaji’s profile, and the correspondence evolved into something meaningful. The digital encounter soon led to in-person meetings, and the relationship gained momentum—from a dating-app match to a public partnership.
By October, the couple got engaged in Dubai, and by December they celebrated a wedding including a civil ceremony in New York and a three-day reception at Mamdani’s family estate in Uganda.
The Wedding and Celebrations
The wedding of Zohran Mamdani and Rama Duwaji blended cultural touchstones, global locations and personal aesthetics. In December 2024, they hosted a “nikah and engagement party” on the rooftop of Dubai’s Vida Creek Harbour, with the glamorous skyline and the iconic Burj Khalifa as backdrop. Duwaji wore a silver-toned gown; Mamdani opted for a navy blue kurta. According to their florist, the vision was “garden romance with lush blooms and quiet luxury.”
Following that celebration in Dubai, they held a civil ceremony in New York City and continued festivities at Mamdani’s family estate in Uganda with a three-day reception.
Navigating Public Life Together
As Mamdani’s political star rose, the couple stepped more into the public arena and with that came added scrutiny. There were online trolls who accused the mayor of “hiding” his wife from the limelight. Mamdani responded forcefully, writing on Instagram:
“Three months ago I married the love of my life, Rama. Now, right-wing trolls are trying to make this race which should be about you about her.”
The two have appeared publicly together at campaign events and victory celebrations. At one such moment, Mamdani paused mid-speech to say: “I must thank my incredible wife. Rama, thank you.”
What This Story Means: Reflections
Modern dating meets public life
Their story reflects how digital dating, once regarded as niche, has become part of mainstream life, even for those in high-profile or politically sensitive positions. The fact that a soon-to-be mayor and his artist spouse connected on a dating app shows how technology continues to bridge traditional social divides.
Art, activism, identity and partnership
Rama Duwaji doesn’t just carry a creative identity, her work emphasises migration, displacement and solidarity. In that sense, her personal narrative and her relationship with Mamdani, a trail-blazing political figure, reflect a partnership of shared values: movement, multiculturalism and public service.
The global and the personal
From Brooklyn to Dubai to Uganda, their life together spans continents and cultural milieus. Their wedding and engagements were less about location and more about bringing different parts of their identity into one story. That global reach underlines how 21st-century lives and loves are rarely confined to one place or tradition.
Public scrutiny, private resilience
Being under the public eye puts pressure on any relationship perhaps more so when one partner is entering the mayor’s office. Their handling of online criticism, and their readiness to appear together, offer a model of resilience. It is less about perfection and more about presence and mutual support.
Frequently Asked Questions
A Syrian-American multimedia artist based in Brooklyn.
They met on the dating app Hinge.
In December 2024.
Ceremonies were held in New York, Dubai, and Uganda.
She’s an artist featured in The New Yorker, The Washington Post, and the Tate Modern.