FUJAIRAH // Two-year-old Maryam never believed her mother was having triplets.
"There are four babies coming," she said, disregarding what the doctors had told her mum. "Not three."
She was right.
Wafa Ebrahim and Yaqoob Abdullah became the parents of three healthy girls and a boy, all over one kilogram, at about 6am on Sunday at Fujairah Hospital, a first for the medical centre. The ceasarian took 40 minutes.
"When the doctors told me there was another, I thought they were joking," Ms Ebrahim said. "I thought they wanted to wake me up from the drugs."
Her hospital room was a flurry of women wrapped in dark abayas and grandmothers in their prints, dishing out coffee, chocolates and homemade cakes yesterday. None were happier than Yaqoob's father, Abdullah, who always wanted daughters of his own but was blessed instead with two sons.
"All his life he was wishing for a daughter," Ms Ebrahim said. "After the first daughter I had he was so happy. Now that his home is full of children, he is in heaven."
Mr Abdullah will name his first son after his sociable grandfather, a man who loves to gather his family round for walks and outings.
"He's even happier than me," he said. "This is from God, al humdullilah."
The girls will be named by their mother.
"The whole family will decide together," she said.
When Ms Ebrahim had a Dh2,500 fertilisation treatment of injections and tablets, she knew there was a strong likelihood of twins. What she did not expect was a twin set of twins.
The births will be celebrated at a feast similar to that of a wedding, open to the entire family, with over 100 guests.
"Even for one we would do the same," said Ms Ebrahim. "Everyone is in shock, our whole family."
"What she can she do?" said a visiting Emirati cousin. "She can only thank God!"
Amna Abdullah , 60, a mother of nine, offered her reassurance.
"Mothers know how to care for their children," she said. You will be fine."
Ms Ebrahim is accustomed to big families. She is one of 13 sisters and five brothers born to two mothers. Now, the sisters will become additional caregivers.
Mr Abdullah and his wife share a three-bedroom house with his brother, who is married to Wafa's sister. Also in the house is the six-month-old son of Mr Abullah's brother, and Yaqoob's parents.
As Bidoon, their lives ahead will not be easy. The Bidoon, which translates as "without", are a people without passport or citizenship, though most have lived in the UAE for generations before it was a country.
Ms Ebrahim's first challenge will be the lack of birth certificates for her quadruplets, something most UAE Bidoon say has become impossible in recent years. Her six-month old nephew also has no birth certificate, despite multiple trips by his father to the Ministry of the Interior in Abu Dhabi. It is a common situation today. In previous years, it was easier for Bidoon to get a birth certificate.
Mr Abdullah, 27, supports his parents and his brother's family on a salary of Dh4,000 a month as a public relations officer at a quarry. His brother, 20, has not found work yet. It has become increasingly difficult for Bidoon to find work in the UAE, and when they do, it is often for a fraction of what their Emirati compatriots earn.
"For Bidoons, it's very difficult," Ms Ebrahim said. "You should have someone who knows you and lets you work. This all depends on God because at this point there is no support."
Tough times may be ahead for the quadruplets. Bidoon are not eligible for any of the school or hospital fees afforded to their Emirati cousins. The delivery will cost the family Dh10,000.
Maryam's preschool tuition is Dh2,500 per month.
The family is luckier than most Bidoon. With the sale of his grandfather's farm, his father received Dh400,000 that will be put toward the children's education. Ms Ebrahim worked from the age of 17 to pay for her degree in computer programming from Ajman University. She quit after she was married, and immediately got pregnant, at age 25.
Her grandfather's arrival in the UAE predates the country's formation, and he served in its military for decades. Some of Ms Ebrahim's relatives have citizenship. Passport or not, she said she will raise her children as Emiratis.
"We teach them Arabic, we teach them the traditions of the UAE, all that it means to be is in Emirati," said Ms Ebrahim. "We are Emirati ourselves, the only difference is that we pay for services. Otherwise we are the same."
"I hope that we get nationality soon because we heard that this problem will be solved and the sheikhs do support us," she said. "We will see, inshallah. Every child who comes brings some luck."
azacharias@thenational.ae
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Director: Saeed Roustaee
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BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
The specs
Engine: 2.2-litre, turbodiesel
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Power: 160hp
Torque: 385Nm
Price: Dh116,900
On sale: now
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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
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Founder: Ahmed Wadi
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Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)
Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund
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Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
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Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
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Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
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About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
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If you go
The flights
Emirates (www.emirates.com) and Etihad (www.etihad.com) both fly direct to Bengaluru, with return fares from Dh 1240. From Bengaluru airport, Coorg is a five-hour drive by car.
The hotels
The Tamara (www.thetamara.com) is located inside a working coffee plantation and offers individual villas with sprawling views of the hills (tariff from Dh1,300, including taxes and breakfast).
When to go
Coorg is an all-year destination, with the peak season for travel extending from the cooler months between October and March.
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