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Babies of Sumayya Fujairah Image Credit: Supplied

Abu Dhabi/Dubai: Overjoyed parents welcomed their bundles of joy at various hospitals in the country as the new year brought them extra happiness.

At the Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women and Children in Abu Dhabi, two Emirati female babies were born, Naema Khalifa Al Qamzi, born at 8am, and Hissa Abdul Rahman Al Katheeri, born at 9am. Naema’s father, Khalifa Al Qamzi, said, “Joining us on the first day of Year of Zayed was a memorable surprise and our joy is now doubled. We named her Naema. It is a blessed year for us all — [as it is the] Year of Zayed.”

Abdul Rahman Al Katheeri welcomed his daughter Hissa. “Our newborn is the third in the family and we named her Hissa. She was due to be with us on December 28, but she waited for another three days to join us on this very special day.”

At the NMC Hospital in the capital, four babies were born, while 12 babies were born at Burjeel Hospital, Abu Dhabi, including twins Zayed Al Qubaisi, boy, and Salama Al Qubaisi, girl. The Emirati twins were born at midnight and 12:01am respectively.

Alia Mohammad Al Rumaithi, the 29 year-old-mother of the twins, said, “God has blessed us with a great gift in the Year of Zayed. Because of this, we named the boy Zayed, after the father of the nation and the girl Salama who was the mother of Shaikh Zayed.”

At the Thumbay Hospital in Ajman, too it was a double delight as two sets of twins arrived along with the new year. For 28-year old Iraqi mother Noor, her twin boys, weighing 2.49kg and 2.04kg each, were born, one at the stroke of midnight, and the other following after 56 seconds. “The newborns are yet to be named, but I am happy to begin my new year on such a beautiful note,” said the overjoyed mother. This is her fourth delivery.

Palestinian mother Sumaiyya too delivered a pair of twins weighing 2.1kg and 2.13kg who were born at 12:01am and 12:02am on January 1, 2018. The babies are yet to be named.

At the Thumbay Hospital in Dubai, Baby Zuhura Farzeen was born at 00.30 hours to parents Farook Sheriffdeen Thaha and Fatima weighing a healthy 3.09kg. The parents hadn’t expected the delivery until January 7 but had a pleasant new year surprise. A visibly thrilled Thaha told Gulf News: “Zuhura is my second born and I resolve on this new year to give her a good education and raise her as a good human being with moral values.”

At RAK Hospital, ecstatic parents Qudisiya Begum and Sameer Khan celebrated the birth of their baby boy, Ahyan, who arrived at 5.45am weighing 3.35kg.

The first baby born at Medcare Women and Children Hospital in Dubai was Saeed, an Emirati, born at 12.56am. Hamad Hussain Alioz, his father, said: “Today is a very special day and we are celebrating for three reasons: the birth of our first child, the year of Baba Zayed (Shaikh Zayed), and the first day of the New Year.”

At Zulekha Hospital Sharjah, a baby girl born via a C-section brought indescribable joy to Pakistani parents Mohammad Talha and wife, Hina.

“I can’t express how I feel. It’s the best feeling to be a father of a beautiful girl. We haven’t decided her name yet,” Talha told Gulf News. “She’s our second child. Our first child, a son, was born on October 10, 2014, that’s 10.10.2014. Now our daughter is 01.01.2018.”

At Thumbay Hospital Fujairah, Sultan Mousa Hadi Amanou, male, born to Ethiopian parents, came into he world at 12.07am via a Caesarean procedure, and weighed 3.24kg. He is the fifth child of his parents.

Sultan’s father, Mousa, works as an imam at a mosque, while mother, Aysha Ahmad Khaleel is a housewife.

“It is a special moment for me to have my fifth baby on the first day of 2018,” Mousa said. “First and foremost, I thank Allah for gifting us this baby. I thank the hospital for the care my wife and child received.