Janet Jackson and her husbad Wissam Al Mana welcomed their first child, a son named Eissa, on Tuesday. Vittorio Zunino Celotto / Getty Images
Janet Jackson and her husbad Wissam Al Mana welcomed their first child, a son named Eissa, on Tuesday. Vittorio Zunino Celotto / Getty Images

A long connection



The Jackson family has a long association with our region. Michael Jackson moved with his children to Bahrain for a brief period in 2005, where he set up a recording studio and bought a mansion. His brother, Jermaine, revealed in 2013 that he was keen to build a Jackson family-themed hotel and resort on Yas Island. And, on Tuesday, pop star Janet Jackson, 50, the youngest sibling of the famed singing family, and her Qatari husband Wissam Al Mana, welcomed their first child, a son named Eissa.

The couple tied the knot in 2012. Although not a whole lot is known about their life, rumours spread about her pregnancy when the singer postponed her Unbreakable world tour so she and her husband could focus on family.

The couple have not given any details about where the baby was born, nevertheless we congratulate them and wish their family – and all families who are celebrating a new arrival in the new year – a blissful 2017.

THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick

Hometown: Cologne, Germany

Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)

Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes

Favourite hobby: Football

Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk