RAS AL KHAIMAH // Fertility rates are declining at a drastic rate. Emiratis have never had so few children - 2.3 per family at the last count.
Two men, however, are doing their best to reverse the trend. And while father-of-52 Salem Juma'a, in his late 70s, will probably stop there, 60-year-old Daad Abdulrahman has 86 and says he is aiming for 100.
"It's from God," says Mr Juma'a. "God gave me this. I can't object to God's gift. God gave me because I deserved it. If I did not deserve, God would not give."
In the family sitting room, Mr Juma'a is surrounded by a small part of his family: two wives, two daughters, five sons and a grandchild. Over the next two hours, dozens of his children enter the room, kiss him on the head and then greet their mothers.
Mr Juma'a leans forward. He speaks quickly, in a raspy voice.
"I have 42 kids alive," he says. "10 are dead."
When Mr Juma'a is asked his age, a lively discussion follows.
He begins counting on his fingers. "No, no, no," says his wife Fatima, patiently. "You're 75."
Fatima pulls out his passport. The date of birth is 1930. "They're estimates, he doesn't know exactly," says Fatima.
Nor does Mr Juma'a know how old he was when he married. He measures time by the number of children he had.
"When I was around 30, I had six children," he said. "Before unification I lived for 20 years in Dibba. I was born in Dibba and married in Dibba. I had six children in Dibba."
The first 40 years of Mr Juma'a's life were difficult. He was trained by his father as a pearl diver, and although he married young, none of his children at the time survived, and for 20 years he was abroad more than he was home, working on ships servicing the date trade, and as a construction worker in Saudi Arabia.
But his life was defined by family, not profession.
He laughs when asked how many wives he has had. "More than 10." And then he has to think for a minute. He begins counting on his fingers again.
The question sparks another debate within his family, this time about how many wives were from India. Two of them are present as authorities in Mr Juma'a's matrimonial history.
After much debate, a consensus is reached. Mr Juma'a has had 12 wives: three from Egypt, six from India and three from the UAE. Two from the UAE died and one was divorced.
"You had five from India," protests his son Omar.
"No, six," says Mr Juma'a. "I divorced three." And it is settled.
Mr Juma'a did not divorce his wives to have more children but because, he admits, he was strong-willed in his younger days.
"If the wife does not hear my words I will seek another obedient wife," he says. "She was not respecting me, maybe she is defaming me through a long tongue. Some wives shouted at me and told me to shut up."
But his wives today are loving and affectionate towards the family patriarch.
All three of his current wives are from India. Two live in RAK and one in Dibba. Mr Juma'a's last marriage was 17 years ago, to Fatima Mahabud Malib, a woman about 50 years his junior. She sits beside him today, attentive and caring.
"In Islam, you should never have more than four wives," says Mr Juma'a.
But how did he have energy even for three wives?
"I know," he says, his lips curling into a grin.
"I can't do it now, I'm sick," he says, grabbing his lower stomach. Before, however, he was sure to spend one night with each: "Each one, one night here, one night there."
He also makes it clear that he does not believe in romantic love.
"I married them just because I wanted to," he says. "It is a shame to love a woman. If I see a woman, I look down. If I want to marry, I will get married."
Can he name his sons? "No," he says immediately, "I don't know!"
But his sons begin to list their brothers and what they think are their ages - although this, like many topics in the household, is open to interpretation and debate.
When they finish the list, there is a sense of triumph. But there are only 20. One of the brothers has been forgotten. "You have Nabil?" "And Ahmed?"
The forgotten brother is remembered and the sense of accomplishment restored.
Jumal, 35; Juma'a; Badr, 33; Nabil, 30; Ali, 26; Ahmed, 24; Mubarak, 24; Marwan, 23; Khalifa, 23; Sultan, 22; Abdulla, 22; Bilal, 21; Mohammed, 21; Fahd, 21; Omar, 20; Yousef, 19; Omran, 18; Ebrahim, 18; Hasan, 17; Ismail, 16, and Saeed, 14.
Then the sisters begin their list. Again, one is forgotten and the list stops at 20. After some embarrassed chatter, the list is complete and the 42 children, are named and accounted for.
Fatima, 32 or 38; Amina, 32; Nawaf, 31; Noora, 30 or 28; Maryam, 28; Mouza, 25 or 27; Rania, 25 or 29; Khawala; Huda, 26, 27 or 30; Hanan, 25; Nabila, 25; Asma, 25; Amal, 25; Hessa, 23; Aisha, 23; Ibtisam, 20; Hind, 20; Alya, 16; Khadija, 16; Zainab, 15 and Salama, 13, the baby of the family.
Mr Juma'a's family have five houses in RAK, two in Dibba Fujairah and two in Ajman. There are five who live in this house but tonight, with so many siblings and so much laughter, it feels as though there must be more than 100.
As strange as their circumstances may have been in the beginning, the family have been together for nearly 20 years and the brothers, sisters and mothers show genuine love and enjoyment in each other's company.
This was not always the case. When they first married, things were not easy for the wives. For the new brides from India, it could be terrifying.
"Before they didn't know," says his son Fahd. "When they came here, it was a surprise. They were sad. But all my mums, they are like sisters. They always see each other, always sitting together."
Khowthar, 40, from Hyderabad, was 16 or 17 when she married Mr Juma'a. She gave birth to four sons.
"I didn't know how to speak Arabic before I came here," she says. "Of course, we were very embarrassed and very shy. It was a new life and a new world." But she says all of the wives stopped missing home when they began a new family here. "When they had a baby, they were very happy."
For the Juma'a family, it is a happiness that cannot be counted.
Not so for Daad Mohammed Murad Abdulrahman, the one-legged man in Manama who has had 16 wives and 86 children. For him, it is the number that matters. He wants 100.
At 60 Mr Abdulrahman is nearly 20 years younger than Mr Juma'a, but he still struggles to name his wives and does not even attempt to name his 55 sons and 31 daughters. "What, all of them?" he asks, incredulous.
Born to a Balochi family near Muscat, he grew up with 27 brothers and sisters. He came to the UAE as a soldier for the British in the 1960s and worked in Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Al Ain and Dubai.
Since his retirement in 1999, he has supported his enormous family with his military pension and donations worth hundreds of thousands of dirhams from sheikhs who want him to make his century.
In essence, Mr Abdulrahman is a professional stud.
His first marriage was a simple affair. At around 16 he married a girl of 14 from the same family. The family celebrated with English music and balochi dancing.
He now has three wives, Maryam, 45, Anifa, 22, and Majida, 19. He married Majida four years ago in Pakistan.
He has divorced seven wives, three have died, and three "escaped". "And they are not returning back," he says.
He has married women from Oman, India, Bangladesh, Morocco and the UAE, usually presenting them with dowries of between 10,000 and 15,000 rupees and a single piece of gold jewellery.
He will marry again after Ramadan, to a woman from Sudan 40 years his junior, and hopes for a further four children a year until he reaches his goal of 100. His youngest child is just 10 months old and two babies are due next month.
The secret to virility is healthy food, says Mr Abdulrahman. "I have 40 sheep and goats. Every week I slaughter one. I always eat at home."
But will he stop when he reaches 100? "If I have 100 rupees and I walk in the street and I find one rupee, I will take it in spite of being rich."
azacharias@thenational.ae
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EXare%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJanuary%2018%2C%202021%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPadmini%20Gupta%2C%20Milind%20Singh%2C%20Mandeep%20Singh%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20Raised%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2410%20million%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E28%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eundisclosed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMS%26amp%3BAD%20Ventures%2C%20Middle%20East%20Venture%20Partners%2C%20Astra%20Amco%2C%20the%20Dubai%20International%20Financial%20Centre%2C%20Fintech%20Fund%2C%20500%20Startups%2C%20Khwarizmi%20Ventures%2C%20and%20Phoenician%20Funds%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
General%20Classification
%3Cp%3E1.%20Elisa%20Longo%20Borghini%20(ITA)%20Trek-Segafredo%3Cbr%3E2.%20Gaia%20Realini%20(ITA)%20Trek-Segafredo%207%20secs%3Cbr%3E3.%20Silvia%20Persico%20(ITA)%20UAE%20Team%20ADQ%201%20min%2018%20secs%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Disability on screen
Empire — neuromuscular disease myasthenia gravis; bipolar disorder; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Rosewood and Transparent — heart issues
24: Legacy — PTSD;
Superstore and NCIS: New Orleans — wheelchair-bound
Taken and This Is Us — cancer
Trial & Error — cognitive disorder prosopagnosia (facial blindness and dyslexia)
Grey’s Anatomy — prosthetic leg
Scorpion — obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety
Switched at Birth — deafness
One Mississippi, Wentworth and Transparent — double mastectomy
Dragons — double amputee
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
How it works
1) The liquid nanoclay is a mixture of water and clay that aims to convert desert land to fertile ground
2) Instead of water draining straight through the sand, it apparently helps the soil retain water
3) One application is said to last five years
4) The cost of treatment per hectare (2.4 acres) of desert varies from $7,000 to $10,000 per hectare
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.0-litre%20twin-turbo%20V6%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E400bhp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E563Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDh320%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m, Winner SS Lamea, Saif Al Balushi (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer).
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,400m, Winner AF Makerah, Sean Kirrane, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m, Winner Maaly Al Reef, Brett Doyle, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh90,000 1,600m, Winner AF Momtaz, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 2,200m, Winner Morjanah Al Reef, Brett Doyle, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 2,200m, Winner Mudarrab, Jim Crowley, Erwan Charpy
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Leap of Faith
Michael J Mazarr
Public Affairs
Dh67
Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
THE DETAILS
Kaala
Dir: Pa. Ranjith
Starring: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, Easwari Rao, Nana Patekar
Rating: 1.5/5
Fight card
Bantamweight
Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK) v Rey Nacionales (PHI)
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (ROM) v Hussein Fakhir Abed (SYR)
Catch 74kg
Tohir Zhuraev (TJK) v Omar Hussein (JOR)
Strawweight (Female)
Weronika Zygmunt (POL) v Seo Ye-dam (KOR)
Featherweight
Kaan Ofli (TUR) v Walid Laidi (ALG)
Lightweight
Leandro Martins (BRA) v Abdulla Al Bousheiri (KUW)
Welterweight
Ahmad Labban (LEB) v Sofiane Benchohra (ALG)
Bantamweight
Jaures Dea (CAM) v Nawras Abzakh (JOR)
Lightweight
Mohammed Yahya (UAE) v Glen Ranillo (PHI)
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) v Aidan Aguilera (AUS)
Welterweight
Mounir Lazzez (TUN) Sasha Palatnikov (HKG)
Featherweight title bout
Romando Dy (PHI) v Lee Do-gyeom (KOR)
