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This is about an interesting article that originally appeared in Al Bayan Newspaper, a leading Arabic UAE Daily.

It focuses on the plight of children born to an Emirati mother and a foreign father.

Those children are denied Emirati citizenship, unlike children born to Emirati fathers and foreign wives (who get instant citizenship the minute they are born.)

We once had a nice young man in our organization, whom I had always thought he was an Emirati. But when I recently reviewed his file for a promotion, I was surprised to learn that he was a non-Emiriti national.

When I later spoke with him, he told me that he was born and raised in the UAE. His mother is an Emirati from RAK, and his dad was from another Arab country. His father died when was 4 years old.

He told me how hard and embarrassing it’s been for him to live like a fully Emirati person, except for that moment when he has to reveal his nationality. Also, how hard it’s always been for him to renew his passport (apparently they want him to go back to his dad’s country and serve in the army). I guess he's been able to postpone it by paying somebody (in lieu of not having to report for service.)

I’m sure there are a lot of young people like him out there.

Anyhow, here is the article:

What makes an Emirati?

A public debate has begun over the nationality of children fathered by foreigners

• By Mohammad Hussain Al Yusefi, Special to Gulf News
• Published: 00:00 May 23, 2010

It never ceases to amaze me that an old UAE national can marry a young girl from South East Asia, and give all his children born from her Emirati nationality, while the children of Emirati women married to non-UAE nationals are deprived of this right!"
These were the simple words of an Emirati woman expressing her disbelief at the apparent lack of equality.

Another woman expressed much the same sorrow, saying, "Mary, Jean and Julie's children will acquire UAE nationality at birth because the fathers of their children are nationals, while Emirati women cannot give their nationality to their children — even if their husbands are GCC nationals".

This is a small sample of what caught my attention while reading an article in Al Ittihad newspaper, which is published in Abu Dhabi, about the debate on whether UAE mothers married to foreign men should be allowed to pass their nationality on to their children.
This issue is important for both UAE and GCC nationals alike. It is a topic discussed at many gatherings, with people taking sides, as usually happens in such cases.

My interest was piqued as I have written about similar issues to do with naturalisation and people without documents struggling to prove their identity for over two decades. Thousands of other people read the Al Ittihad article and hundreds expressed their opinions.

It also seems that this public debate is being encouraged by the state. This impression was bolstered by Dr Zubaidah Jasem, Director of Research and Studies in the Ministry of Interior and head of the "fatwa" department, in an article that appeared in Al Ittihad on February 2, in which she said that there have been high-level directives since 2006 for the Naturalisation Department to create a database about the people in this category at home and abroad, so as to complete the data to start giving these people UAE nationality. .

Regrettably this information is not publicly available.

Loyalty

In the comments, which were mostly made in the local dialect and in the popular style people discussed the issue referencing political and legal theory dating from the time of Plato and Aristotle right up to our modern age, on the concept of the nation-state. They discussed issues related to loyalty, affiliation and sovereignty.

Some were suspicious about the loyalty of children born to foreign fathers, and others were afraid that the national identity would be lost, while a third category considered that giving nationality to the sons of UAE women would encourage more Emirati women to marry foreigners.

Those in favour of granting UAE nationality to this category of people considered mothers the source of loyalty, arguing that the children would be raised in the UAE, study in its schools and salute its flag. They added that countless fathers regarded as aliens are in fact nationals from GCC countries that are bound to the UAE with close ties. Moreover, there are those in this category who are the sons and daughters of divorcees and widows. They have been raised and brought up in this good land and it is due to no fault of their own that they have not attained UAE nationality.

Without knowing it, they discussed all the rules that establish the basis of nationality, such as the right of region and the right of blood, and debated over the meaning of these rules.

Some also discussed the idea of equality between the sexes. Many readers said the children should be treated the same regardless of whether their mothers or fathers were foreigners. Others said that sons and daughters have to follow their fathers in issues related to lineage and nationality, whereas women follow their spouses under Sharia.
Culture was used as an argument in this discussion — either to enhance a point of view or to reject it. Marriage was said to be encouraged by parents, and becoming a spinster was described as a stigma all women should seek to avoid.

So what can a woman do if she is not asked to marry a man of her own nationality, and accepts the marriage proposal of an alien? Should she be punished by her children being deprived of her nationality?

Others considered that Emirati women choose to marry foreigners, and are fully aware of the consequences. The argument here is that such women will have to shoulder responsibility for the consequences of their choices.

Ulterior motives

Those opposed to granting nationality to this category of people are fearful that if this door is opened, "marriages of convenience" will take place — especially if the spouse is assured that his children will obtain all the advantages that come with Emirati nationality.

These people believe that some foreigners are motivated to marry Emirati women by greed. Where were all these men before the oil boom, when Emiratis were not rich, they ask.

Few people mentioned that naturalising the children of Emirati mothers could help to address the population imbalance, as witnessed in other countries, although naturalising GCC nationals is accepted in general.

One woman concluded by saying, "Our Shaikhs will surely solve this issue after reading people's opinions".

Dr Mohammad Hussain Al Yusefi teaches at Kuwait University.

http://gulfnews.com/opinions/columnists ... i-1.629739

I love this land to bits been here over 33 years but this is the only isssue that bugs me to no end. Atleast make some kind of positive steps in the ight direction. Some kind of permenent residence gree card-esq status even would be a step in the right direction.

I feel they cannot avoid this very important for very long. Something needs and has to be done about this and the sooner the better. There are a lot of people who grew up in the regon with very strong ties, contributing members of society who one by one are leaving because of this.

I know I am in the same boat and after literally spent a life time here I am considering moving out. Although I really dont want to but I really dont see anyother option. Can't go back to the country which I hold the passpot to as that is NOT my country and I do not belong there and would feel like a duck out of water.

Maybe Holland !

I will inform the authorities to lock the border! lol

Hell no, you're not coming 'ere. No rejects allowed

I already have friend scouting the area as we speak, was in Dam square yesterday, in Belgium today I think. So buckle up buddy boy ! and be ready to roll out the carpet

Horror. Nightmare. Sudden Explosion!

You leaving your roots, for fs why?

Hey man any apts vacant close to where you live

Tom Jones wrote:[i][color=#0000FF]T
These people believe that some foreigners are motivated to marry Emirati women by greed. Where were all these men before the oil boom, when Emiratis were not rich, they ask.

Very poignant point.

Now can we ask where were all the Russians, Moroccan and Filipinas before the oil boom?

Its wrong to accuse men marrying Emirati women of greed when many foreign women married Emirati men for exactly the same reason !

Get a room guys!



Knight

desertdudeshj wrote:I love this land to bits been here over 33 years but this is the only isssue that bugs me to no end. Atleast make some kind of positive steps in the ight direction. Some kind of permenent residence gree card-esq status even would be a step in the right direction.

I feel they cannot avoid this very important for very long. Something needs and has to be done about this and the sooner the better. There are a lot of people who grew up in the regon with very strong ties, contributing members of society who one by one are leaving because of this.

I know I am in the same boat and after literally spent a life time here I am considering moving out. Although I really dont want to but I really dont see anyother option. Can't go back to the country which I hold the passpot to as that is NOT my country and I do not belong there and would feel like a duck out of water.

Maybe Holland !

I understand DD!!

Sure….. it must be really hard to have to uproot…. and leave the land that you’ve lived in all your life.

I really don’t see any harm in giving long-time residents permanent residency. It has to be a free, un-sponsored, residency, or at least, sponsored by a special government agency, to which you have to report periodically to keep you personal info current.

Like the US, this permanent residency should also qualify you, after a certain period of time, to apply for naturalization.

This country cannot carry on relying heavily on a changing, migrant work force. Having only a system of temporary, sponsored residency will hinder their long term development and prosperity. With the passing of time, not only are they losing valuable experienced talent, but they are also losing the most suitable people to form the core of future naturalized citizens, something that the UAE will to have to have if they want to remain a viable, well-functioning nation.

Would they would make you take a Nationality Test like the US?

That could be fun! Multiple choice of course!

I imagine the questions would be something like this:

Question 1

1) When driving down Sheikh Zayed Road in your blinged up blacked out LandCrusier at 200kmph, if there is a Nissan Sunny with 10 labourers jammed inside in front of you do you -
2) slow down and wait for him to move into the next lane before overtaking politely?
3) drive right up to his bumper with all your lights flashing and hustle him out of the way?
4) flip your car onto 2 wheels and overtake him in the fast lane hard shoulder whilst beeping your horn and abusing him verbally through the window or
5) just ram him into the barrier and carry on regardless whilst the unfortunates are scattered down the highway in a series of bloody heaps?

Question 2

DEWA send you an electricity bill. Do you -
1) Attend the DEWA office and queue politely until it is your turn and pay in full?
2) Ignore it and just throw it on the pile of 1000 other unpaid DEWA bills in your majlis?
3) Storm down to the DEWA office and complain even though you have not paid for any electricity and water for 15 years?
4) Increase the rent on the 50 properties you own by 200%, still not pay the DEWA bill and buy another Ferrari?

Question 3

It is your 3rd wife's 16th birthday, do you -

1) Invite all your immediate friends and family to a big party at your palace in Umm Suqiem, give the housemaid, gardener, car wash boy and driver the day off, call in a catering company, have a special cake made, get the whole household to decorate the place, buy her a shiny new sports car as a present and show her how much you appreciate her?
2) Let your other 2 wives plan an all female party with your 52 children and go out with your mates and drink coffee and smoke shisha in Madinat Jumeirah for the night?
3) Beat her senseless after having perverted se x with her and then do option 2?
4) Say its no point throwing a party as she is your sister after all...?

Question 4

The UAE Constitution: As a UAE national, what are your rights when it comes to the Labour Law?

1) You must treat all your employees fairly, pay them on time a fair wage and ensure that their working conditions are affable, suitable and safe?
2) You are allowed to open as many shadow companies as you like to gain piles of employment visas that you can then sell on the black market for 25,000Dhs each to pimps, slave traders, brokers and human traffickers without giving a damn and sleeping soundly at night?
3) You are allowed import thousands of illiterate Indian labourers who pay you 10,000Dhs each for the privilege of being brought here like cattle, having their passports forcibly taken away, crowded into non airconditioned buses, stacked 3 high in rooms with 50 others and 1 toilet per 100 in a concentration camp, working 15 hours a day in 50 degrees for less than $200 a month, which you don't pay them anyway because you think they are less than human and if they don't like it they can leave...or
4) You can ignore all the laws, labour or otherwise, and do what the hell you like as it doesn't apply to you anyway as you have an invisible shield all around you called 'Nationality'?

Final question,

Question 5

You are an entreprenuerial international businessman with fingers in many pies and you have to attend a trade fair in Germany as part of a delegation representing the UAE. Do you -

1) Spend time studying the culture of the country where you are going to visit and try to learn a little of the language before you go so that you can greet fellow businessmen on level terms and show that you are operating at internationally accepted standards within your industry sector?
2) Turn up in dish dash and keffir and spend the whole day on your gold plated Blackberry surfing 'massage' websites to make a booking in your hotel that night?
3) Arrive at the trade delegation staggering and reeking of whisky after a night spent in the Raperbahn with a bevvy of scantily clad hookers who you took to your hotel suite for the night and fed champagne until the small hours before shagging them all simultaneously to prove what a stud you are?
4) Not bother turning up at all and spend the week spaced out on drink and class A drugs in the presidential suite, all at the expense of the Sheikh, and make sure that all the hookers, including the boys, who you lined up provided you with receipts for 'oral translation services' so you can claim the expenses when you get back?

Points will be awarded for correct answers and some questions may need care when answering.
Please ensure that your lips are not moving when you are reading the options.
Frowning is not allowed.



Knight

Dubai Knight wrote:Would they would make you take a Nationality Test like the US?

That could be fun! Multiple choice of course!

I imagine the questions would be something like this:

Question 1

1) When driving down Sheikh Zayed Road in your blinged up blacked out LandCrusier at 200kmph, if there is a Nissan Sunny with 10 labourers jammed inside in front of you do you -
2) slow down and wait for him to move into the next lane before overtaking politely?
3) drive right up to his bumper with all your lights flashing and hustle him out of the way?
4) flip your car onto 2 wheels and overtake him in the fast lane hard shoulder whilst beeping your horn and abusing him verbally through the window or
5) just ram him into the barrier and carry on regardless whilst the unfortunates are scattered down the highway in a series of bloody heaps?

Question 2

DEWA send you an electricity bill. Do you -
1) Attend the DEWA office and queue politely until it is your turn and pay in full?
2) Ignore it and just throw it on the pile of 1000 other unpaid DEWA bills in your majlis?
3) Storm down to the DEWA office and complain even though you have not paid for any electricity and water for 15 years?
4) Increase the rent on the 50 properties you own by 200%, still not pay the DEWA bill and buy another Ferrari?

Question 3

It is your 3rd wife's 16th birthday, do you -

1) Invite all your immediate friends and family to a big party at your palace in Umm Suqiem, give the housemaid, gardener, car wash boy and driver the day off, call in a catering company, have a special cake made, get the whole household to decorate the place, buy her a shiny new sports car as a present and show her how much you appreciate her?
2) Let your other 2 wives plan an all female party with your 52 children and go out with your mates and drink coffee and smoke shisha in Madinat Jumeirah for the night?
3) Beat her senseless after having perverted se x with her and then do option 2?
4) Say its no point throwing a party as she is your sister after all...?

Question 4

The UAE Constitution: As a UAE national, what are your rights when it comes to the Labour Law?

1) You must treat all your employees fairly, pay them on time a fair wage and ensure that their working conditions are affable, suitable and safe?
2) You are allowed to open as many shadow companies as you like to gain piles of employment visas that you can then sell on the black market for 25,000Dhs each to pimps, slave traders, brokers and human traffickers without giving a damn and sleeping soundly at night?
3) You are allowed import thousands of illiterate Indian labourers who pay you 10,000Dhs each for the privilege of being brought here like cattle, having their passports forcibly taken away, crowded into non airconditioned buses, stacked 3 high in rooms with 50 others and 1 toilet per 100 in a concentration camp, working 15 hours a day in 50 degrees for less than $200 a month, which you don't pay them anyway because you think they are less than human and if they don't like it they can leave...or
4) You can ignore all the laws, labour or otherwise, and do what the hell you like as it doesn't apply to you anyway as you have an invisible shield all around you called 'Nationality'?

Final question,

Question 5

You are an entreprenuerial international businessman with fingers in many pies and you have to attend a trade fair in Germany as part of a delegation representing the UAE. Do you -

1) Spend time studying the culture of the country where you are going to visit and try to learn a little of the language before you go so that you can greet fellow businessmen on level terms and show that you are operating at internationally accepted standards within your industry sector?
2) Turn up in dish dash and keffir and spend the whole day on your gold plated Blackberry surfing 'massage' websites to make a booking in your hotel that night?
3) Arrive at the trade delegation staggering and reeking of whisky after a night spent in the Raperbahn with a bevvy of scantily clad hookers who you took to your hotel suite for the night and fed champagne until the small hours before shagging them all simultaneously to prove what a stud you are?
4) Not bother turning up at all and spend the week spaced out on drink and class A drugs in the presidential suite, all at the expense of the Sheikh, and make sure that all the hookers, including the boys, who you lined up provided you with receipts for 'oral translation services' so you can claim the expenses when you get back?

Points will be awarded for correct answers and some questions may need care when answering.
Please ensure that your lips are not moving when you are reading the options.
Frowning is not allowed.



Knight

Hahaha, brilliant!

Not to be a spoil sport but as a Fact I know they dont require you to take a test. As a few Zanzibari ( they fall into some special case category )friends of mine were granted UAE passports, mind you not citizenship just Nationality.

I also know one Zanzibari who is in the Army was granted one when is unit was assigned to Kosovo for peace keeping and as he didnt have any travel docs. It was valid for only one year. Next year he went to renew it they confisticated it !. Eventually around 10 years afte that he did get it permanetly though.

DK….

You crack me up man!!!

That’s just insanely funny!!!!

All the questions and multiple choice answers were just hilarious, but I loved Question 5 the most. I've seen first hand these “delegates” doing, more or less, the same thing at an exhibition in London. I had a room very close to their suites at the same hotel.

Dude, this definitely shows you’ve been here too, too long. You need to vacate this sh*thole soon before you lose the rest of your marbles!!!

Tom Jones wrote:DK….

You crack me up man!!!

That’s just insanely funny!!!!

All the questions and multiple choice answers were just hilarious, but I loved Question 5 the most. I've seen first hand these “delegates” doing, more or less, the same thing at an exhibition in London. I had room very close to their suites at the same hotel.

Dude, this definitely shows you’ve been here too, too long. You need to vacate this sh*thole soon before you lose the rest of your marbles!!!

EK0005 tomorrow afternoon! (if they let me on after this post!)

Sadly just a fleeting visit to Perfidious Albion for a family hitchin' then over to La Belle France for wine, women and song... (I lied about that bit as its a boring work trip!)



Knight

Tom Jones wrote:

desertdudeshj wrote:I love this land to bits been here over 33 years but this is the only isssue that bugs me to no end. Atleast make some kind of positive steps in the ight direction. Some kind of permenent residence gree card-esq status even would be a step in the right direction.

I feel they cannot avoid this very important for very long. Something needs and has to be done about this and the sooner the better. There are a lot of people who grew up in the regon with very strong ties, contributing members of society who one by one are leaving because of this.

I know I am in the same boat and after literally spent a life time here I am considering moving out. Although I really dont want to but I really dont see anyother option. Can't go back to the country which I hold the passpot to as that is NOT my country and I do not belong there and would feel like a duck out of water.

Maybe Holland !

I understand DD!!

Sure….. it must be really hard to have to uproot…. and leave the land that you’ve lived in all your life.

I really don’t see any harm in giving long-time residents permanent residency. It has to be a free, un-sponsored, residency, or at least, sponsored by a special government agency, to which you have to report periodically to keep you personal info current.

Like the US, this permanent residency should also qualify you, after a certain period of time, to apply for naturalization.

This country cannot carry on relying heavily on a changing, migrant work force. Having only a system of temporary, sponsored residency will hinder their long term development and prosperity. With the passing of time, not only are they losing valuable experienced talent, but they are also losing the most suitable people to form the core of future naturalized citizens, something that the UAE will to have to have if they want to remain a viable, well-functioning nation.

I don't untherstand why Uae and all arab country's are like that
i was born in Belgium get citizen (local)permanent residency and i'm moroccan.also my parents here in Antwerp.The arab Country's pffffffffffffff.....and there system more pfffffffffff...

No wonder they want to be Emirati; even receiving electricity (in Sharjah) depends on whether you are a National!




Sharjah: Businessmen and residents reacted furiously to the idea of doubling the electricity tariff in Sharjah and said this would hinder economic activities in the emirate.

"[A] reasonable rate of uninterrupted power supplies was the main reason behind the migration of foreign investments into the UAE... any change in the environment would cause investments [to] depart from the emirate," Ashraf Khalid, an Asian investor and owner of an industrialist firm told Gulf News.

In its power conservation campaign, the Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (Sewa) had said that the cost of producing electricity was double the tariff Sewa imposed on its consumers.




Bearing costs

"Sewa cannot continue to buy fuel from suppliers simply because they are not confident about the ability of the authority to pay the bill," he said. He said Sewa has no option but to maintain its scheme imposed on the city on hot days, placing the supply of residential areas and areas with a majority of UAE nationals as top priority.

"Free zones at the airport and Hamriya are still prioritised against supplying power to the industrial areas and areas with non-national majority," he said.

Huzaifa Ahmad, an Arab expatriate resident, said there is a need to consider the establishment of a more efficient power production authority in Sharjah.

"I think an efficient authority that charges users equally would not need to double the tariff at this stage. Even if increasing the current tariff becomes necessary, consumers like me, would understand the decision and would support it," he added.

Seriously getting a bit too much if you ask me.

desertdudeshj wrote:Seriously getting a bit too much if you ask me.

I can understand prioritising the airport etc, but i read that the University city was all in lights as well as many villas. This while many building in expat areas had no electricity at all.

So if true its sad that fancy lighting is given so much priority over necessities just because its in an area with "non national" majority

You've raised an interesting issue Tom, actually I'm familiar with several cases where the father is non-Emirati and the mother is. I know a guy who's father is Dutch, and mother is Emirati. And recently I met a guy at work, he's Irish and married to an Emirati. It's just terrible how the children are not granted the Emirati citizenship, thus the frustration in identity. I totally understand that the gov is trying to control things here, but they MUST consider such cases!