It's not uncommon for Arabs to honor a country or city by naming their own children after it.
The latest to do so is Dubai-based Yemeni policeman, Abdul Rahman Taher Ahmad. The officer and his wife >named their newborn daughter "Emarat" (Emirates) shortly after her birth last week.
Speaking to Gulf News, Ahmad explained that the name was chosen in honor of the UAE and the "Year of Zayed."
"I am proud to have been born, raised, and educated in the UAE"
In his statement to press, the policeman said:
"My daughter, Emarat, the third generation of my family will continue to be inspired by the values of Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. I would also like to thank my father for instilling these values in us while he served in the Dubai Police for close to 40 years."
He also explained that naming his daughter after the UAE was the least he could do to express gratitude to the country in which he was born and raised.
"I am proud to have been born, raised and educated in the UAE, which hosts and accommodates over 200 nationalities," he added.
People loved it
"Mashallah"
Not the first time an Arab child is given a patriotic name
Earlier this year, a Saudi man >named his infant daughter "Watan" (Homeland) because she was born on Sept. 23, coinciding with the kingdom's 88th National Day.
A few months before that, a Saudi couple based in the UAE >named their child "Emarat," saying they did so to honor the Year of Zayed and express their love for the country.
In June, a Jordanian mother based in Saudi Arabia also announced that she >had named her baby daughter "Saudia."
Later identified as Nadiya Mohammed, the woman said her love for the kingdom and its monarchs led her to choose the name.