Parents of the world’s only nonuplets are celebrating their nine babies – who are now 4 years old – with some throwback photos. In 2021, Halima Cissé and Abdelkader Arby welcomed nine babies, breaking the world record for most children delivered at a single birth to survive. Before the family traveled from Mali to Morocco for specialized care, the mom thought she was pregnant with seven children.
The parents recently shared some photos from just after their nonuplets were born. Reflecting on the birth experience, they took to Instagram to share some “unforgettable memories” from 2021. The first photo in the post shows each of the nine babies shortly after birth, along with the medical staff that helped successfully deliver them. In the second photo, Halima appears to scroll on her phone while waiting in a hospital bed.
Halima was 30 weeks pregnant when she welcomed her nine babies prematurely via C-section in Morocco.
When the children were 19 months old, they could finally go home, per Guinness World Records.
The family captioned the throwback photos with, “Throwback, a little more than 4 years ago…Here are some rare images of our treasures just after they were born, in their tiny hatches, and a precious photo of their mum Halima during her exceptional pregnancy. A miracle of life, incredible strength, immense love 💛 We are filled with gratitude for how far we have come and for all the support we have received since the very beginning.”
The nonuplets recently celebrated their 4th birthday.
The five girls – Kadidia, Fatouma, Hawa, Adama, and Oumou – and four boys – Mohammed VI, Oumar, Elhadji, and Bah – are now 4 years old and thriving. In May 2025, the mom told Guinness that “the children are all well, by the grace of God.”
On their fourth birthday, the nine kids all posed together alongside their Guinness World Records certificate. “An unforgettable birthday for our nonuplés!” the parents captioned a birthday celebration post at the time.
“Yesterday we celebrated our wonderful children’s 4th birthday surrounded by our loved ones and benefactors. Thank you to all who have sent birthday greetings – from near and far – we are deeply touched by your messages.”
Halima and Abdelkader periodically share heartwarming updates.
The nine babies were all born weighing between 1.1 and 2.2 lbs. Clearly, they’ve grown so much since then, and their parents have celebrated their growth with adorable social media updates. On May 18, 2025, the parents shared a video that featured a throwback photo of their nine babies when they were just 1 year old. The video then cut to modern day, showing the 4-year-old children all excitedly running toward their parents.
“A little throwback… They were only 1 year old in this picture. Today they run to us, filling our lives with love and laughter. 1, 2, 3… Here they are!” the parents wrote.
Halima told Guinness that all nine kids have “grown so much since their last birthday and the change is clearly visible in them all.”
