The following is from the text of the United Arab Emirate's Federal Law that deals with nationality:

Federal Law No. 17 of 1972, Respecting Nationality and Passports

CHAPTER I - NATIONALITY

Part 1 - Acquisition of Nationality

Article 1.

Nationality shall be acquired by law or by dependency or by naturalization, in accordance with the provisions of the following Articles.

Article 2.

Under this Law, the following shall be deemed nationals:

(a) Any person established in one of the member Emirates by 1925, who has maintained regular residence therein until the effective date of this Law. The residence of a person's ancestors shall be regarded as complementary to his own residence. In all cases, such persons shall be required to be of Arab culture;

(b) Any person born in the State or abroad after the effective date of this Law of a father who is a UAE national.

Article 3.

A foreign woman married to a UAE national may acquire the nationality of her husband if she so wishes, provided that she duly notifies the Minister of Internal Affairs, that three years elapse after such notice, during which period the marriage continues in effect, and that she renounces her original nationality. A husband may not adopt the nationality of his wife.

Article 4.

Subject to the provision of Article 17 of this Law, a wife who has acquired UAE nationality by dependency in relation to her husband in accordance with the provisions of the preceding Article shall retain UAE nationality in the event of her husband's death. Her UAE nationality shall be withdrawn only if she:

(a) Marries a person of foreign nationality;

(b) Reverts to her original nationality or acquires another nationality.

Article 5.

UAE nationality may be granted to any citizen of Omani, Qatari, or Bahraini origin who has resided continuously and lawfully in the member Emirates for a period of not less than three consecutive years before or after the effective date of this Law, provided that he has lawful means of livelihood, is of good conduct and has never been convicted of an offence involving dishonour or dishonesty.

Article 6.

UAE nationality may be granted to any Arab of full legal capacity who has resided continuously and lawfully in the member Emirates for a period of not less than 10 years, at least 5 of which must have been spent therein after the effective date of this Law, provided that he has lawful means of livelihood, is of good conduct and has never been convicted of an offence involving dishonour or dishonesty.

Article 7.

UAE nationality may be granted to any person of full legal capacity who has resided continuously and lawfully in the member Emirates since 1940 or from an earlier date and who has maintained his regular residence until the effective date of this Law, provided that he has lawful means of livelihood, is of good conduct, has never been convicted of an offence involving dishonour or dishonesty and is proficient in the Arabic language.

Article 8.

UAE nationality may be granted to any person of full legal capacity, other than the aforementioned in Articles 5 and 6, who has resided continuously and lawfully in the member Emirates for a period of not less than 30 years, at least 20 of which must have been spent therein after the effective date of this Law, provided that he has lawful means of livelihood, is of good conduct, has never been convicted of an offence involving dishonour or dishonesty and is proficient in the Arabic language.

Article 9.

UAE nationality may be granted to any person who has rendered major services to the State, without compliance with the residence requirements prescribed in the preceding Articles.

Article 10.

The wife of a citizen by naturalization shall be deemed to be a citizen by naturalization provided that she has renounced her original nationality. The minor children of a citizen by naturalization shall likewise be deemed to be citizens by naturalization. They shall be entitled to decide to revert to their original nationality within one year of reaching the age of majority.

Article 11.

UAE nationality shall not be granted to any person unless he renounces his original nationality.

Article 12.

UAE nationality may only be granted once.

Article 13.

No person who has acquired UAE nationality by naturalization in accordance with the provisions of Articles 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 shall have the right to stand for nomination, election or appointment to any parliamentary or public organization or to any ministerial office. Citizens of Omani, Qatari or Bahraini origin shall be exempt from this provision on the lapsing of seven years as from their acquisition of UAE nationality.

Part 2 - Loss, Forfeiture, Withdrawal and Restoration of Nationality

Article 14.

A female citizen of the UAE who has married a foreign national shall retain her nationality and lose it only if she adopts the nationality of her husband.

Article 15.

The UAE nationality of anyone enjoying it shall be forfeited if:

(a) He enters the military service of a foreign country without permission from the UAE and refuses to leave such service when ordered to do so;

(b) He works for the benefit of a hostile State;

(c) He acquires of his own free will the nationality of a foreign State.

Article 16.

(1) UAE nationality shall be withdrawn from a naturalized citizen if:

(a) He commits or attempts to commit an act deemed to endanger the security or safety of the State;

(b) It is established by judicial decision that he is an habitual criminal;

(c) He is found to have committed forgery, falsification or fraud in any particulars on the basis of which nationality was granted to him;

(d) He has resided outside the State continuously and without justification for a period of more than four years.

(2) Where nationality is withdrawn from any person, it may, by reason of dependency, be withdrawn from his wife and minor children.

Article 17.

(1) By law, a citizen who has acquired a foreign nationality may regain his original nationality if he renounces his acquired nationality.

(2) By law, a female citizen who has acquired the nationality of her foreign husband may regain her original nationality in the event of the death of her husband or of her divorce from him, provided that she renounces the nationality of her husband.

Article 18.

The minor children of a person who has lost his nationality may, on application, regain UAE nationality when they reach the age of majority.

Part 3 - Authorities Having Jurisdiction over Matters Pertaining to Nationality

Article 19.

Applications pertaining to nationality and naturalization shall be submitted to the Minister of Internal Affairs. Such applications shall be examined by a Consultative Committee to be established by decree of the Minister and composed of representatives of the member Emirates who shall be original citizens of good standing and repute. The Consultative Committee shall submit its recommendations to the Minister of Internal Affairs.

Article 20.

UAE nationality shall be granted by decree on a proposal by the Minister of Internal Affairs and subject to the approval of the Council of Ministers. Forfeiture and withdrawal of nationality shall be governed by the same procedure.

Article 21.

(1) Subject to the provisions of Article 19, the Minister of Internal Affairs shall be competent to decide on applications concerned with proof of original nationality or dependency, or with loss or restoration of nationality. Interested parties may appeal to the Council of Ministers from a decree issued by the Minister of Internal Affairs within one month of the date of receiving notice of such decree.

(2) A decree of the Council of Ministers concerning an appeal shall be final.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

Reference

United Arab Emirates. 1974. Federal Law Number 17, Respecting Nationality and Passports. (from REFLEG, accessible through the July 1999 version of REFWORLD)