DUBAI: The UAE’s twins, triplets and multiples community is all set to meet in Dubai after a gap of over six years, thanks to TwinsPlus Arabia, an online community support group for the tribe.
Suman Manning, a mum of triplets and founder of TwinsPlus Arabia, told Gulf News that as the only community of its kind in the Middle East, TwinsPlus Arabia plans to bring the multiples community together at a unique event in Dubai on January 24.
Hundreds of twins will be attending and competing for prizes at the Burj Park on January 24. The competitions include most alike and least alike twins in different age categories (from newborns to adults), the youngest and oldest multiples, the biggest pregnant belly and twins who have travelled the farthest.
She said, “We will be headlining an exciting competition at Market Outside the Box at the Burj Park on Friday from 4pm to 5.30pm. Hundreds of twins will be attending and competing for prizes. The competitions include most alike and least alike twins in different age categories (from newborns to adults), the youngest and oldest multiples, the biggest pregnant belly and twins who have travelled the farthest.”
She said the free-to-attend event will be held as part of TwinPlus Arabia’s launch of an online store (www.twinsplusarabia.com) specifically catering to families of multiple babies, giving them access to “tailored value bundles” and connecting them with other families with twins, triplets and more.
She said attractive prizes will be given out in each of the competition categories.
She said families with twins, triplets and multiples must register for the event online at www.twinsplusarabia.com. On the spot registrations will also be possible.
Manning, whose initial efforts to bring multiples in the UAE together was first reported by XPRESS, a sister publication of Gulf News in 2011, reckons that the UAE is home to over 3,000 sets of multiples. The last time the UAE’s multiples community came together in a big way was in 2013 when TwinsPlus organised the TwinsPlus Festival in Zabeel Park in March 2013. Ahead of the event, a fashion show was held at the Burjuman shopping mall in which 58 sets of twins and triplets took to the ramp. At the time, Manning had quoted Dubai Health Authority as saying around 2,875 sets of twins, triplets and quadruplets where born in Dubai between 2010 and 2012.
“TwinPlus Arabia has around 1,200 registered members,” she noted.
She said with parents of twins, triplets and multiples having unique challenges, TwinsPlus Arabia seeks to provide a one-stop platform to meet their needs and enable families to connect with each other and exchange notes.
WHO: Twins, triplets and multiples
WHERE: Burj Park
WHEN: January 24, 4-5.30pm
ENTRY: Free