A prominent member of Qatar’s royal family is boosting Zohran Mamdani, a far-left Queens state assemblyman, in his campaign for mayor of New York City.

In recent posts to Instagram, Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani, the sister of Qatar’s emir, has promoted Mamdani’s bid as he competes in a tight race against former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, his top rival in today’s Democratic primary election.

The Qatari royal has touted favorable polling for Mamdani while amplifying a recent campaign video in which the democratic socialist is seen embracing his mother, the renowned Indian-American director Mira Nair, on a city-length walk through Manhattan on Friday.

In a comment below the video, Sheikha Al Mayassa posted a string of flame emojis voicing her approval of Mamdani’s feat.

Sheikha Al Mayassa, who chairs a number of the Gulf state’s leading cultural organizations including the Doha Film Institute and Qatar Museums, has a personal connection to Mamdani’s family, having hosted his mother in Doha in 2022 for the world premiere of the musical adaptation of Nair’s hit film “Monsoon Wedding,” according to media reports.

In an interview with a Qatari lifestyle magazine at the time, Nair said that Sheikha Mayassa “has loved the movie but also supported the inception of this musical over several years from New York to India to here.”

In recent years, the Gulf state has faced criticism from U.S. lawmakers for hosting Hamas’ leadership and human rights abuses including mistreatment of migrant workers during the World Cup, when Nair’s musical was presented as part of a cultural program that coincided with the tournament held in Doha.

Meanwhile, in 2013, Nair rejected an invitation to attend the Haifa Film Festival in Israel as a guest of honor — saying that she would “go to Israel when apartheid is over.”

Mamdani, for his part, does not appear to have publicly commented on the support from Sheikha Al Mayassa or on Qatar more broadly. While he has stressed a message of affordability during the race, he has drawn backlash over his harsh criticisms of Israel.

Mamdani, who has also endorsed boycotts targeting Israel, has indicated that he will not visit the Jewish state if elected, arguing that he does not believe that such a trip is necessary “to stand up for Jewish New Yorkers.”