MANAMA: A discrepancy in health records has led to the delay in the return home of a Saudi mother who gave birth at Bahrain International Airport last month.
Sources at the Ministry of Health said hospital records for Mariam Yousif Al-Shoaibi incorrectly stated her nationality as Ethiopian even though she holds a valid Saudi passport.
The 33-year-old woman, who is married to an Ethiopian national living in Qatar, gave birth to a baby named Isa on Feb. 25. “Doctors were sent to the airport to cut the umbilical cord as the mother delivered a healthy boy weighing 3 kg in the transit lounge. The mother and baby were later shifted to Muharraq Maternity Hospital,” said the source.
Under Bahraini law, a child’s nationality is decided based on the father’s nationality, so under this clause Isa would be Ethiopian. However, the Bahraini Health Ministry has not yet stated the baby’s nationality. “This is a special case and we are looking at all aspects,” the source added.
Arab News tried to contact the woman and her father, who are living in an apartment in Manama, but they were reluctant to speak to the press.
According to reports, Saudi authorities have declared the marriage illegal and the baby a foreigner. The mother and child have now been stranded in the island for two weeks. The woman had initially planned to travel to the Kingdom by road across the King Fahd Causeway.
