Palestinian photographer Samar Abu Elouf, left, with her winning photo, and executive director of the World Press Photo Foundation Joumana El Zein Khoury. EPA
Palestinian photographer Samar Abu Elouf, left, with her winning photo, and executive director of the World Press Photo Foundation Joumana El Zein Khoury. EPA
Palestinian photographer Samar Abu Elouf, left, with her winning photo, and executive director of the World Press Photo Foundation Joumana El Zein Khoury. EPA
Palestinian photographer Samar Abu Elouf, left, with her winning photo, and executive director of the World Press Photo Foundation Joumana El Zein Khoury. EPA

Portrait of young Gazan amputee wins World Press Photo Contest


Faisal Al Zaabi
  • English
  • Arabic

A portrait of a boy from Gaza whose arms were severed as a result of an Israeli bombing has won this year's World Press Photo Contest.

Nine-year-old Mahmoud Ajjour was severely injured while trying to flee the attack in March last year. Taken by Samar Abu Elouf, who is also from Gaza, the photograph was originally published in The New York Times.

“When [Mahmoud] turned back to urge his family onward, an explosion severed one of his arms and mutilated the other,” the Amsterdam-based World Press Photo Foundation said. “Mahmoud and his family were evacuated to Doha, Qatar, where, following medical treatment, he is now learning to play games on his phone, write and open doors with his feet.”

The winning photo, titled Mahmoud Ajjour, Aged Nine, is a portrait of young boy injured during an Israeli attack on Gaza city. Photo: The New York Times
The winning photo, titled Mahmoud Ajjour, Aged Nine, is a portrait of young boy injured during an Israeli attack on Gaza city. Photo: The New York Times

Abu Elouf was evacuated in December 2023 and she now lives in Doha, Qatar. After the announcement of the winner, Joumana El Zein Khoury, executive director of World Press Photo, said: “This is a quiet photo that speaks loudly. It tells the story of one boy, but also of a wider war that will have an impact for generations.”

The winner was announced at the opening of the World Press Photo Exhibition 2025, at De Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. This year 59,320 photographs, by 3,778 photographers from 141 countries were entered into the contest.

Murat Sengul's photo Drone Attacks in Beirut captures residents looking skywards during an Israeli drone strike. Photo: Anadolu Agency
Murat Sengul's photo Drone Attacks in Beirut captures residents looking skywards during an Israeli drone strike. Photo: Anadolu Agency

The non-profit foundation was set up to “champion the power of photojournalism and documentary photography to deepen understanding, promote dialogue and inspire action” and is celebrating its 70th anniversary.

Finalists for the prize included several photos from the Middle East, including Murat Sengul’s photo from Beirut and Samuel Nacar’s photo from Syria. The former depicts a group of people in the Lebanese capital anxiously looking up to see rockets flying above them. The latter is of the infamous Palestine Intelligence Branch interrogation and detention centre in Syria.

Samuel Nacar's photo The Shadows Already Have Names shows the Palestine Branch interrogation and detention centre in Damascus. Photo: Revista 5W
Samuel Nacar's photo The Shadows Already Have Names shows the Palestine Branch interrogation and detention centre in Damascus. Photo: Revista 5W

Last year's World Press Photo of the Year was Mohammed Salem's image of a Palestinian woman, Inas Abu Maamar, cradling the body of her five-year-old niece Saly in Khan Younis.

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Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

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Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

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Best strike-rate in an innings: 1.50 – Suresh Raina (for Chennai Super Kings against Rajasthan Royals in 2011)

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Build an emergency fund: Make sure you have enough cash to cover six months of expenses as a buffer against unexpected problems before you begin investing, advises Steve Cronin, the founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com.

Think long-term: When you invest, you need to have a long-term mindset, so don’t worry about momentary ups and downs in the stock market.

Invest worldwide: Diversify your investments globally, ideally by way of a global stock index fund.

Is your money tied up: Avoid anything where you cannot get your money back in full within a month at any time without any penalty.

Skip past the promises: “If an investment product is offering more than 10 per cent return per year, it is either extremely risky or a scam,” Mr Cronin says.

Choose plans with low fees: Make sure that any funds you buy do not charge more than 1 per cent in fees, Mr Cronin says. “If you invest by yourself, you can easily stay below this figure.” Managed funds and commissionable investments often come with higher fees.

Be sceptical about recommendations: If someone suggests an investment to you, ask if they stand to gain, advises Mr Cronin. “If they are receiving commission, they are unlikely to recommend an investment that’s best for you.”

Get financially independent: Mr Cronin advises UAE residents to pursue financial independence. Start with a Google search and improve your knowledge via expat investing websites or Facebook groups such as SimplyFI. 

Updated: April 17, 2025, 12:29 PM