Khadiga el-Gammal, the wife of President Hosni Mubarak’s son Gamal Mubarak, has given birth to the couple’s first child, Farida, in a major obstetrics hospital in London. The mother and her newborn are reportedly in good health.
Gamal Mubarak is the chairman of the ruling National Democratic Party’s powerful Policies Secretariat and it is widely specultated that he is being groomed for the presidency.
News of the birth pleased members of the Egyptian president’s family, who are currently in Heidelberg, Germany, where President Mubarak underwent a gallbladder removal surgery in early March. The president is accompanied by his wife, Suzanne, his elder son, Gamal, and the younger Alaa, who also brought his wife and son.
Gamal made a short visit to London on Tuesday morning to meet his newborn daughter, but returned to the German hospital the same day. Mrs. Mubarak stayed with her husband, the president, but made a phone call to congratulate her daughter-in-law.
El-Gammal’s entire family traveled to England to be nearby during the delivery. She was also in Germany before leaving for London to deliver Farida.
Sources at Heidelberg Hospital say that President Mubarak will return to Egypt within a few days, but a hospital spokesperson declined to specify a date for his departure. The spokesperson said Mubarak’s condition is stable and he will only have to "stay for a few days."
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
