Yousaf ‘delighted’ to announce wife is expecting summer baby
Scotland’s First Minister has announced he and his wife are expecting a baby this summer, saying they are “delighted” to be adding to their family.
Humza Yousaf said his wife Nadia El-nakla is due to give birth in July.
It will be the first time a Scottish First Minister has had a child while in office.
The couple already have two children – their daughter Amal is four and Mr Yousaf is stepfather to 14-year-old Maya.
Mr Yousaf has previously spoken publicly about miscarriages the couple have suffered.
As he spoke about his desire to improve miscarriage care last September, he revealed he and Ms El-nakla have lost four pregnancies – “two before our daughter was born and another two after”.
Announcing his wife is expecting again on Friday, he thanked staff at the early pregnancy unit at Ninewells Hospital
in Dundee for the “wonderful support" they have provided.
In a statement, Mr Yousaf said: “Nadia and I are delighted to announce that we are expecting a new addition to our family in July.
“Wewanttothank the early pregnancy unit at Ninewells Hospital who have provided wonderful support to Nadia and our family through the early stages of her pregnancy.
“We are incredibly grateful for the love that we have received from our family and friends upon sharing our news with them. Our daughters, Maya and Amal, are both very excited to meet the new baby.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who was in Aberdeen on Friday for the Scottish Conservative conference, said he had messaged Mr Yousaf to congratulate him.
He said Scottish Secretary
Alister Jack had texted the First Minister “on behalf of the two of us” on the “wonderful news for his family”.
Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross posted a message on X to pass on his congratulations to the First Minister and his wife on their “fantastic news”.
Labour MSP Monica Lennon also sent her congratulations to the couple. She said Ms Elnakla had made an “impactful contribution” to the cross-party group on women's health at Holyrood on miscarriage, “helping to break the taboo”.