Overview

• New reporting details that Sheikha Al‑Mayassa and Qatari state‑linked cultural bodies have supported Mira Nair’s projects since at least 2009, including financing, commissions, and festival showcases.
• Documented support includes the Doha Film Institute paying the full $15 million budget for The Reluctant Fundamentalist, funding Maisha Film Labs bootcamps from 2010 to 2014, and a 2019 Qatar National Museum commission for Nair’s film Nafas.
• Qatar Airways and Qatar Creates backed a Nair-directed stage adaptation of Monsoon Wedding during the 2022 World Cup cultural program, adding to years of institutional ties.
• Since June, Sheikha Al‑Mayassa has amplified Mamdani’s mayoral bid on social media by sharing favorable polling and commenting on a TikTok video featuring him and Nair.
• Mamdani says he has never traveled to Qatar or received direct funding from its institutions, and his campaign declined to say whether his mother’s connections provided assistance, as experts warn of influence risks tied to Qatari cultural patronage and note Qatar’s contested human‑rights record.