Two Emirati boys were among the first to be born in 2026 as families across the UAE celebrated an extra special start to the new year.
On the stroke of midnight and the dawn of the new year, Burjeel Medical City and Burjeel Hospital welcomed babies Saeed and Hamdan.
As fireworks lit up the night skies across the UAE, Emirati Saif Al Rumaithi named his first son after his father, Saeed. Born with a healthy weight of 3.3kg at Burjeel Medical City in Abu Dhabi, Saeed brought special meaning to 2026 for his parents.
“We chose the name Saeed because we hope our baby will always be happy and bring joy to our family in the new year,” his mother said.
Moments later, Salma Alhosani gave birth to Hamdan at Burjeel Hospital in Abu Dhabi. “We are happy that our son was born on New Year’s Day, which is an auspicious occasion and represents a new beginning for people across the world,” the boy's father said.
Meanwhile, maternity staff at NMC Specialty Hospital in Abu Dhabi faced a busy start to 2026. Indian Rakhi Patil gave birth to her third child, to the delight of her husband, Mayur, an aircraft engineer.
The couple have two girls, so they were overjoyed to welcome a boy, who was delivered by Caesarean section at 12.11am and weighed 3.4kg.
A firstborn child is special for any couple, but when Mahalakshmi Mariap gave birth to her first child, a boy, at 1am on New Year’s Day it was cause for a broader celebration among staff. Ms Mariap and her husband, Nagraj Mariap, work as nurses at NMC Speciality Hospital in Abu Dhabi.
But starting a family is not always plain sailing – and that was the case for Sufyan Ali and Saima Naz. Ms Naz had complications with her pregnancy late on, so was delighted to give birth to a healthy daughter in the early hours of 2026 at International Modern Hospital in Dubai.
“We were very happy to be able to deliver safely the baby of patient Saima on the start of the new year. This was a very precious pregnancy,” said Dr Komila Singhal Verma, a gynaecologist and obstetrician at the hospital.
At Aster Hospital in Al Mankhool, Indian parents Abdul Shareef, an accountant, and Shalda Abdul Shareef welcomed their third child at 7.42am.
At Ras Al Khaimah Hospital, Shamma arrived at 6.28am – as the first child to proud Emirati parents. “Baby Shamma’s arrival is a moment of joy for all of us and we extend our heartfelt congratulations to the family,” said Dr Lalitha Kamini, a specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology at the hospital.
“Beginning the year with the birth of a healthy child is truly a blessing and we wish the parents and their little one good health, happiness and a bright future ahead.”
