Al Mahwait Child Revives Yemenis Memories of Abu Walad

Yemenat

Mohammed Al Mekhlafi

Ali Mansour is a six-year-old boy who lives with his family in a village in Yemen’s Al Mahwait Governorate. He lives a simple life, much like many Yemeni children. He spends his days playing with other children, enjoying his time away from the difficulties and concerns that surround adults.

A few days ago, one of the villagers noticed him and looked closely at his childlike face, innocent smile, and soft black hair falling in a rounded shape over his forehead. Then he said, “God, this child looks just like the picture printed on Abu Walad biscuits.”

He then took a photo of Ali with his phone and casually posted it on his Facebook page, writing: “The child who looks like Abu Walad.” He had no idea that the photo would spread so quickly and become a topic of discussion across social media platforms and in the media.

Ali’s features brought back to Yemenis the image of “Abu Walad,” which had been part of their childhood memories for decades, ever since the product was first introduced in 1973.

The story could have ended there, as nothing more than a funny coincidence: a child who looked like the picture printed on a biscuit package, with people sharing his photo and talking about the resemblance. That could have been the end of it. A child who looked like “Abu Walad.” And what else? That could have been the whole story.

But the story soon reached the management of the Yemeni Company for Industry and Trade, which produces Abu Walad biscuits, as well as One Cash, both part of Hayel Saeed Anam Group. The company sent a representative to Ali’s village and brought him and his father to Sana’a.

Ali looked around with his small eyes, not knowing what was