Photographer Mohamed Mahdy Wins World Press Photo Contest 2026

Egyptian photographer Mohamed Mahdy has been named among the winners of the World Press Photo Contest 2026, selected from a global pool of 3,747 photographers, with just 42 winners chosen across categories.

Mahdy’s winning project, ‘Moon Dust’, was awarded in the Africa region under the Long-Term Projects category—a body of work that documents life in Wadi El-Qamar, a residential area in western Alexandria where more than 30,000 residents live within 15 meters of a cement factory.

Known locally as ‘Moon Valley’, the neighbourhood is blanketed in toxic dust from the factory, which burns coal and industrial waste, often releasing emissions at night. The result is devastating: widespread respiratory illness, children born with asthma, and families living with irreversible lung damage.

A resident of the area himself, and someone who suffers from asthma, Mahdy was first drawn into the project in 2016 after being asked by a local resident to document the crisis as her sister was dying from the disease. What began as a documentation effort evolved into a decade-long investigation into environmental injustice.

By combining photography with community testimonies and sustained engagement, Moon Dust helped mobilise medical and legal support for affected families.

Mahdy’s work sits at the intersection of documentary photography and advocacy, reflecting his broader practice as a visual storyteller and educator focused on marginalised and often unseen communities across Egypt. This is Mahdy’s second win in the World Press Photo Contest, he was previously selected for his project ‘Here the Doors Don’t Know Me’ in 2023.

The World Press Photo will announce the Photo of the Year winner and two finalists on April 23rd, placing Mahdy’s project in contention for one of photojournalism’s highest honours.