Hello, Marwan?
Content creator Marwan Sallam, better known online as Marwandoesstuff, is calling on every Marwan he can find for A Very Marwan Iftar, a Ramadan gathering exclusively for people named Marwan. The iftar, a second gathering of its kind, will take place on Saturday, March 14, at Mayyal in Maadi, Egypt.
Sallam hosted the first Marwan meetup earlier this year on January 31, where even the DJ in attendance was named Marwan Sanad, who performs under the stage name DJ Dizzy.
More than 20 Marwans attended in person, with others joining via Zoom.
Each participant had to introduce themselves and present their case, battling over who would be crowned the best Marwan. The group also had to sniff out an imposter, a non-Marwan planted among them.
“I was the only Marwan in my school for the longest time,” Sallam said in an Instagram announcement. “Then I moved to Egypt and met so many other Marwans, so I started looking for more.”
Read More
The event taps into a growing global trend of first-name meetups and look-alike contests including viral gatherings like Anthony meetups, sparked by YouTuber Anthony Po in 2024, and the Bryan meetup back in 2023.
One of the biggest was a Timothée Chalamet Look‑alike Contest in New York City, where more than 100 faux Chalamets showed up, along with the real Timothée Chalamet, who surprised the crowd and crowned the winner. Wonka Timothée (real name: Miles Mitchell) received a six-foot trophy and a check for $50.
For Sallam, quirky community events are becoming a signature. In September 2025, he organized a “performative male” competition at the Cairo Flea Market in Cairo, and he continues to bring global trends into Egypt with his very own Arab twist, including the Marwan iftar this Saturday.
Proceeds from A Very Marwan Iftar will support Ahfad Al Zaytoun, a trauma-informed community and learning center for Gazans living in Cairo.
The exact program for the night is still under wraps, but if the first meetup was any indication, one thing is certain: the Marwans will compete.
All we can say is: may the best Marwan win.
