As fireworks illuminated the skies marking the transition into 2026, hospital delivery rooms across the United Arab Emirates witnessed a more intimate form of celebration—the first cries of newborns arriving precisely as the new year dawned. These symbolic births, occurring from midnight onward on January 1st, represented both personal milestones and national hope across the federation.
In Abu Dhabi, Burjeel Medical City recorded the nation’s first documented birth at exactly 12:00 AM—baby Saeed Saif Al Rumaithi, weighing 3.302kg, born to Emirati first-time parents. The name Saeed, meaning ‘happy’, was deliberately chosen to honor paternal lineage while embodying the joy of a new beginning. Mere minutes later, Burjeel Hospital welcomed Hamdan (2.470kg) to the Alhosani family, whose father described the timing as ‘auspicious’ for global new beginnings.
NMC Specialty Hospital witnessed another significant arrival at 12:11 AM when Indian expatriates Rakhi and Mayur Patil welcomed their third child—a son following two daughters. The aircraft maintenance engineer and homemaker expressed particular thrill at completing their family with a New Year’s birth overseen by Dr. Kiran Mehndiratta.
Dubai’s International Modern Hospital hosted perhaps the most emotionally charged delivery at 12:14 AM. Baby Umama Sufyan (2.35kg) arrived after a high-risk pregnancy complicated by hypertension and growth restrictions, ending parents Sufyan Ali and Saima Naz’s painful journey through three previous miscarriages. Dr. Komila Singhal Verma acknowledged the ‘precious’ successful delivery after numerous complications.
The celebrations extended across emirates: Aster Hospital in Dubai welcomed a boy to Abdul Shereef’s family at 7:42 AM; Zulekha Hospital Sharjah recorded a 2:24 AM delivery; Fujairah’s Thumbay Hospital celebrated Nigerian baby Kafayat Uyomide (3.27kg) at 2:41 AM alongside an Indian baby born exactly at midnight; while Ras Al Khaimah’s first newborn—Emirati baby Shamma (3.4kg)—arrived at 6:28 AM at RAK Hospital, described by her father as a ‘blessing’ and memorable start to 2026.
Medical professionals universally highlighted the honor of facilitating these symbolic births, with Dr. Srividya Venugopal of Burjeel Medical City capturing the sentiment: ‘Helping a family welcome their child at the dawn of a brand-new year is a heartwarming experience.’ These simultaneous arrivals across the UAE represented not just expanded families but a nation embracing future generations with renewed optimism.