must also provide a copy of the court ruling proving that she has custody of the minor.31 In practice, this means it is essentially impossible for an Omani woman to confer nationality on her child except in the rarest of circumstances, and still then only at the discretion of the state. Issue 2 – Gender Discrimination in Nationality Law affecting Naturalisation Foreign Spouses 44. There is also gender inequality in relation to Omani women's and Omani men's ability to transmit their Omani nationality to a foreign spouse. With regard to the naturalisation of foreign spouses, under Article 15 of the Nationality Law, the foreign spouse of an Omani woman is required to have been married and resided in Oman for at least 15 continuous years in order to be granted Omani citizenship,32 while under Article 16 of the Nationality Law, a foreign wife of an Omani citizen is required to have been married and resident with her Omani husband in Oman only for at least 10 years in order to be granted Omani citizenship.33 In both cases, the marriage must have been approved by the Ministry (although note that in the case of a foreign wife applying for Omani nationality, this condition does not apply where the marriage took place before the acquirement of the Omani citizenship by her husband34) and the foreign spouse applying for Omani citizenship must have a son from his Omani wife or from her Omani husband.35 In addition, the conditions for the foreign husband of an Omani citizen to be granted Omani nationality under Article 15 of the Nationality Law are stricter, for example he must be fluent in reading and writing the Arabic language36 (whereas a foreign wife of an Omani citizen is only required to be able to verbally communicate in Arabic37) and he is also required to be medically fit and not suffering from contagious diseases and to have a legitimate source of income enough to provide for himself and his dependents38 These conditions do not apply in order for the foreign wife of an Omani citizen to be granted Omani nationality39. 45. The widowed or divorced foreign wife of an Omani citizen may also be granted Omani nationality if she meets a number of conditions, including that she must have been married to and resided with her Omani husband in Oman for at least 15 continuous years, the marriage must have been approved by the Ministry (unless it took place before her husband acquired the Omani citizenship) and she must have a son from her Omani husband 40 There is no equivalent provision for the grant of Omani nationality to the widowed or divorced foreign husband of an Omani citizen. 46. Alternatively a person may also apply for Omani citizenship under Article 15 of the Nationality Law if they have been resident in Oman for at least twenty continuous years and meet the other conditions set out in that Article (for example the requirements to be medically fit and to have a legitimate source of income). The twenty-year residence requirement would apply 31 Executive Regulations, Article 19(6). Article 15(1) 33 Ibid, Article 16(3) 34 Ibid, Article 16(1) 35 Ibid. Article 15(1) and 16 (3). 36 Ibid, Article 15(2) 37 Ibid, Article 16(4) 38 Ibid, Articles 15(5) and 15(6) 39 Ibid, Article 16 40 Nationality Law, Articles 17(2) and (3). 32 Ibid, 9