Who is Nadia El Nakla, Humza Yousaf's wife?

First Minister's spouse, 39, is herself involved in Scottish politics

New Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf with his wife Nadia El Nakla at Bute House, Edinburgh. Getty

Nadia El Nakla, Humza Yousaf’s wife, is no stranger to politics.

Ms El Nakla, 39, who married Mr Yousaf in 2019, has been at the new Scottish First Minister's side this week, posing for pictures outside Bute House, in Charlotte Square in Edinburgh on Wednesday.

She became SNP councillor for the West End of Dundee last year, the first minority ethnic candidate to be elected in the city.

She said at the time: “I really want to take this time in the next five years to invest in women and get them into politics because in the Broughty Ferry ward I don’t think we’ve ever seen a female councillor in I don’t know how long.”

Ms El Nakla, whose father is Palestinian, previously stood in the 2021 Holyrood election for the SNP in North-East Scotland but did not succeed.

The mother of two also worked under Scottish Government minister Shona Robison.

In 2021, Mr Yousaf and Ms El Nakla tried to sue Little Scholars Day Nursery in Broughty Ferry for £30,000 over the accusation that it had “unfairly discriminated” against their daughter Amal, who was two at the time.

They claimed the nursery twice refused her a place, while approving applications for “white Scottish-sounding names”.

At the time, Mr Yousaf wrote on Twitter: “I cannot tell you how angry I am.”

Mr Yousaf and Ms El Nakla also made a complaint to the Care Inspectorate that year. It was upheld, saying the nursery had failed to “promote fairness, equality and respect”.

However, the couple dropped the legal action against the nursery in February.

Aamer Anwar, the couple’s lawyer, was quoted in The Guardian as saying: “The nursery has acknowledged changes were required to make the admissions process more ‘transparent and equitable’ and that is the very least any young child is entitled to expect from an educational establishment in Scotland, no matter who their parent is or whatever their background.

“Nadia believes that as a mother she was justified in raising this legal action, she felt deeply hurt and hopes that as a result real change will take place.”

Ms El Nakla also has an older daughter from a previous relationship.