ChChapter 2: Origins and influences of nationality law Nationality is a specific legal bond between a person and a state. It is most easily understood as a form of membership, whereby the state sets the conditions of belonging in accordance with its own interests and values. Once someone is recognised as a member, this legal bond of nationality brings an accompanying set of rights and duties on the part of both the state and the individual. Given that the terms of membership – the conditions for acquisition and loss of nationality – are laid down in each state’s own domestic legislation, understanding the content of this law is a key step in building a picture of who enjoys nationality and who is excluded. Every country’s nationality law is informed by the specific domestic context in which it has developed. Yet many of the factors which influence the content of nationality legislation will also be common to several countries or even a whole (sub)region. In the case of the Middle East and North Africa, it is possible to identify some common historical, cultural and political influences which are shared by various countries or relevant to the region as a whole. This has contributed to numerous similarities in the way in which the acquisition and loss of nationality is regulated, including in the identification of these states’ original body of nationals. This chapter describes some of the principal characteristics of MENA nationality laws and the environment in which they operate, reflecting 43