Manama: A pregnant Saudi student went into labour as she was sitting for her English exam at a high school in Makkah in western Saudi Arabia.
The 'home-student', a term used for students who do not attend regular classes at school, but sit for end-of-semester exams, was about to start her exam when she started screaming, triggering concerns among other students in the hall, Saudi daily Okaz reported on Wednesday.
When school supervisors rushed to enquire about her situation, Zuhoor told them that she was about to give birth and that she had not expected it on that day.
Faced with the unimaginable challenge and acting quickly to reduce the stress building up in the exam hall, the supervisors helped Zuhoor out while an ambulance was called. However, while waiting for the medics, two women working at the school assisted the mother in delivering the baby.
“She gave birth to a baby daughter before the ambulance arrived,” Ruqaya Husawi, the school principal, was quoted as saying. The mother and baby were transferred to a local hospital.
The baby was named Zainab.
The mother said that she was grateful to the school staff for their “commendable management of the unexpected situation and for the kind assistance she received while giving birth.”
