Couple in Abu Dhabi become parents thanks to rule change — The National

In Abu Dhabi, UAE, a married couple became parents through surrogacy, which became available after a change in the rules in 2023. Briton Tiffany Chadga and her husband, New Zealander Pulkit Bakshi, used the help of a surrogate mother after doctors deemed pregnancy dangerous for the woman’s health.

As The National reports, until 2023 UAE legislation included a provision banning the implantation of a fertilized egg into another woman’s womb. Following the changes, each emirate was given the opportunity to independently regulate surrogacy rules.

Pregnancy was deemed dangerous

Chadga and Bakshi married in 2023 and soon began planning for a child. Chadga’s first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage at seven weeks. In July 2024, while on holiday in Scotland, she suffered a heart attack. Doctors found a 90-percent blockage in her left anterior descending artery and inserted a stent.

A few months later, during a follow-up visit to London, the woman suffered a second heart attack, after which she received two more stents. Chadga has type 1 diabetes and said that due to her heart condition and the need to take medication for life, pregnancy could have harmed her or the child.

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Requirements for surrogate mothers

In 2025, during a consultation with Dr Michael Fakih, the couple learned about the possibility of undergoing the procedure in Abu Dhabi. After mandatory medical examinations, they were connected with a surrogacy agency.

Under Abu Dhabi’s rules, a surrogate mother must be between 21 and 45 years old, have had at least one previous pregnancy, and meet medical and psychological requirements. There are also restrictions on the number of births and Caesarean sections. A woman from Kazakhstan became the couple’s surrogate mother.

Chadga and Bakshi were present for the embryo transfer, ultrasound examinations, medical appointments and the birth. The agency provided the surrogate mother with housing, food, transport and other support. After birth, the couple’s son, Fatehraja Singh Bakshi, spent two days in hospital, after which his parents took him home.

The couple decided to openly tell their son about the circumstances of his birth. They keep a photograph of the surrogate mother in his room and plan to explain the story gradually as the child grows older.