A Minnesota woman walked into Dubai International Airport expecting a typical family visit — instead, she got the surprise she’d been waiting more than a decade to receive.
Jida, 37, of Lino Lakes, froze in shock on July 25 when her sister Tala, 34, greeted her in the arrivals lounge holding a sign announcing her pregnancy. It was the exact same way Jida had revealed her own pregnancy to Tala back in 2014.
“I saw the sign and immediately said, ‘You got me back!'” Jida said.
The wholesome moment brought the 2014 surprise full circle. Eleven years ago, Jida — then living in Dubai alongside her sister — returned from vacation and surprised Tala at the same airport with news that she was expecting. That moment was captured on video, and Jida had hoped ever since to experience a similar surprise.
Tala got married in 2023. When Jida planned a summer trip to the United Arab Emirates, where Tala still lives, she asked about pregnancy news. Tala told her sister on the phone she wasn’t trying yet and wasn’t ready.
The misdirection worked perfectly.
“Tala told me on the phone before we went to see them in the summer that she’s not trying and not ready yet, so I was completely blindsided,” Jida said. “i had no idea she’s pregnant or that she would surprise me in the exact same way.”
After the initial shock wore off, Jida excitedly ran into her sister’s arms. Tala’s husband captured the reunion on video, just as the 2014 surprise had been filmed. Both sisters will now have matching memories to treasure.
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Tala is expecting a baby boy in March 2026.
“I’ve been waiting to be an aunt after all these years,” Jida said. “It was honestly very wholesome, and it will be one of my favorite memories.”
Despite living thousands of miles apart since Jida moved back to Minnesota, the sisters chat for hours every day. The airport surprise reinforced their bond.
“Being long distance sisters is not easy, but we always find ways to meet up and connect like I never left,” Jida said. “I’m so, so thrilled that i got to have this moment in person.”
