Parents of World-Famous Nonuplets Shock Internet by Releasing Rare, Never-Before-Seen Photos of Their 5 Daughters and 4 Sons—Sparking Heated Debate Over Privacy, Parenting, and the Challenges of Raising 9 Children as Public Fascination With ‘Our Treasures’ Grows Stronger With Each Passing Year

The world’s first known set of nonuplets, meaning nine children delivered at a single birth, turned 4 in May

The nonuplets, to Malian couple Halima Cissé and Abdelkader Arby.Credit : Les Nonuples/Instagram

The parents of the world’s first surviving set of nonuplets are reflecting on the “unforgettable memories” with their record-breaking children.

Malian couple Halima Cissé and Abdelkader Arby recently shared sweet photos of the nonuplets — five girls and four boys — throughout the years on Instagram, nearly two months after the kids turned 4.

They welcomed them in Morocco on May 4, 2021, and the babies became the first known nonuplets, meaning nine kids delivered at a single birth.

The world’s first known set of nonuplets.Les Nonuples/Instagram

“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,” read the parents’ caption, as translated by Guinness World Records, which had bestowed the family with the record for most children delivered at a single birth to survive four years ago.

The photos show the girls — Kadidia, Fatouma, Hawa, Adama and Oumou — and the boys Mohammed VI, Oumar, Elhadji and Bah — wearing coordinating outfits at various stages of their childhood so far.

In one photo, one of the boys can be seen recently holding the Guinness World Records plaque as he is surrounded by his eight siblings and their parents. Not pictured is the nonuplets’ sister, Souda, who is two years older.

“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. Thank you to everyone who has been with us since day one,” the parents’ Instagram caption continued.

Halima Cissé and Abdelkader Arby with their nonuplets.Les Nonuples/Instagram

In 2021, the nonuplets were born prematurely via C-section in Casablanca, Morocco, when the mother was 30 weeks pregnant. The nine babies each weighed between 1.1 and 2.2 lbs. at birth.

In 2025, for the nonuplets’ 4th birthday, their mom told Guinness, that they “decided to celebrate in a grandiose way, as a celebrity would!”