Overview of nationality laws which do not grant women equality with men in conferring nationality to their children Middle East and North Africa Nationality laws in twelve countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region do not grant equality to women with regard to the right to pass their nationality to their children. The nationality law in Qatar does not permit Qatari mothers to confer their nationality on their children, without exception, even if this would result in statelessness. Under the Kuwaiti nationality law, where a Kuwaiti mother has a child with a father who is unknown or whose paternity has not been established, the individual concerned may apply for Kuwaiti citizenship at majority. The same applies to a person born to a Kuwaiti mother whose foreign father has divorced the mother or who has died. In all such cases, nationality is granted by Decree based on the discretionary recommendation of the Minister of Interior. Under the nationality law of Lebanon, Lebanese women can only confer their citizenship if the child’s paternity is unknown or cannot be established and the child is born in Lebanon and is recognized by the Lebanese mother while a minor. The nationality laws of Jordan and Libya do not allow women married to foreign nationals to pass their nationality to their children. However, in certain circumstances, they do permit women to confer their nationality on their children born in the territory, for example where fathers are unknown, stateless, of unknown nationality or do not establish filiation. In Saudi Arabia under the nationality law, Saudi women can only confer their nationality to children born in and outside the country if the fathers are unknown or stateless. In addition, sons and daughters of Saudi women married to foreigners may be granted Saudi nationality in limited circumstances, and only upon submission of an application for nationality within one year of reaching the age of majority. 8 U N H C R > B A C K G R O U N D N O T E O N G E N D E R E Q U A L I T Y, N AT I O N A L I T Y L A W S A N D S TAT E L E S S N E S S 2 0 2 3