The nationality law of the UAE provides that Emirati women can only confer nationality to their children if they are born in the UAE and paternity has not been established, or where the father is unknown or stateless. In addition, children born to Emirati women married to foreigners can acquire Emirati nationality from their mothers from the age of six by application as long as certain conditions are fulfilled. In Iraq, although the Iraqi Constitution of 2005 establishes gender equality by providing that nationality is acquired by descent from either national men or women, Iraq’s 2006 nationality law limits the ability of Iraqi women to confer nationality on children born outside the country. For such births, the child of an Iraqi mother may apply for Iraqi nationality within one year of reaching majority, providing that the child’s father is unknown or stateless and the child is residing in Iraq at the time of the application. In Syria, the nationality law provides that Syrian mothers can only confer nationality if the child was born in Syria and the father does not establish filiation in relation to the child. The nationality law of Bahrain only allows Bahraini mothers to confer their nationality on their children born either in Bahrain or abroad if the father is unknown or lacks documents to establish filiation. Under the nationality law of Oman, Omani mothers may confer nationality on their children born either in Oman or abroad if the fathers are unknown or are former Omani nationals. In addition, in very limited circumstances, a child born from an Omani mother and a foreign father may be granted Omani citizenship. An Omani woman can apply for the naturalization of her children only if she is a widow, divorced or has been abandoned by her foreign husband for at least ten years. To complete the process, the child must then spend ten consecutive years in Oman before claiming the citizenship. In Mauritania, national mothers can confer nationality on children when the father is unknown or stateless. Children born in Mauritania to Mauritanian mothers and foreign fathers can also acquire Mauritanian nationality; however, these children can renounce their nationality at majority, even if this leaves them stateless. Children born abroad to Mauritanian mothers and foreign fathers can only opt for Mauritanian nationality in the year before reaching majority. 10 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 4