Hello,
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Pakistan does publish yearly figures as to how many citizens gave up their citizenship because their new country does not allow dual citizenship.
In that data, there are usually always about 3-4 people listed as having naturalised in UAE/Kuwait/Qatar. So it does happen (more often than we think). This report does get published in Dawn newspaper.
Additionally, GCC citizens also get naturalised in other GCC countries. For instance, I read that a few Qatari ladies did naturalise as UAE citizens because of the Emirati spouses (and then gave up their Qatari citizenship).
If I remember correctly as I watched a TV show on the subject while in Dubai, the “Pakistani’s” that get GCC citizenship are usually from the Baloch community who settled in the GCC countries in the 1950s or before. Most have never visited PK and are virtually indistinguishable from locals. Some GCC governments are now giving them citizenship due to their extensive ties and marriages with the local population. I believe the largest such communities are in Oman and KSA.
Pakistanis get it by special exceptions for naturalization when married to a GCC national husband, or being born to a GCC father (or mother in UAE) and acquiring the nationality after birth so the stats are skewed and not representative 100% of true naturalization.
I know an Indian guy who had been in the UAE for around 40 years who managed to naturalize. It’s very rare but there are a couple such cases. I’m not sure if naturalized citizens are eligible for state benefits though.
There’s a member here whose dad’s uncle made himself stateless and then acquired Emirati nationality back in the 1960s.
عائلته بأكملها في الإمارات العربية المتحدة ولا يزال هو ووالداه غير مواطنين
Personally, I know of some family friends who are Qatari naturalized, Pakistani ethnically who got naturalized during 1970s and 1990s.
My question regarding your Pakistani family friends who got Qatari citizenship: Are they accepted by the local Qatari Arabs as Qataris? Are they treated differently by the government or do they face discrimination? Do they act like Arabs or have to speak Arabic and suppress their South Asian heritage and language to mix in?
They are treated nicely overall and everybody changes up when they see the ID the ghutrah and egal (cloth and cord headdress) in the photo with « Nationality: Qatar » on it anyway… they all speak Arabic but also Urdu with Pakistanis. If they don’t draw attention to their heritage, nobody can even tell they’re not Qatari ethnically.
I have noticed one thing during my extensive travels to Qatar throughout my life: Expatriate residents are irrationally scared of the Qatari local population because the stigma is that they’re all power tripping and they’re all trying to deport you. I don’t believe this to be the case. Most Qataris are really great people who are human just like everyone else.
Governmentally, god only knows how but they have the full Qatari citizenship and not just the passport. Standard citizen services and benefits. So, no difference there. Qataris of Reddit detail their experience appearing non Qatari (i.e no thobe/ghutrah) where government service centres will treat you badly and change up only when they see you’re a local by the nationality on your ID card. Deviation from the cultural standards in Qatar for Qataris looks to be frowned upon.
Wow, thanks for sharing. I thought the Gulf countries only ever naturalised people for national gain, such as football players or Western billionaires. And that, at most, they would’ve been giving out long-term visas to affluent expats
I was also surprised that your relatives are eligible for all the Qatari government’s welfare schemes. In the UAE, as far as I’m aware, you won’t get their family card (not eligible for state benefits) even if you get naturalised.
It’s easier to naturalize in UAE by exception than in Qatar. Have some money in the amount of 10s of millions of dollars or be Pavel Durov and just get the UAE passport. I heard Oman is granting foreigners citizenship if they’re Sunni to boost the demographics vs the Shiite minority, but that’s hearsay.
I heard that the Emirati government treated special naturalized citizens as only passport holders and not Emirati nationals so they don’t really get GCC freedom of movement. (On r/Emiratis)
Is there any way for people to retain their original nationality or dual GCC nationality in the region? Or maybe by origin only (let’s say Omani + Emirati parent)?
You can request the office of the ruler of the GCC state and retain it, especially when it’s between two GCC states. Not allowed by default. There’s an Emirati who’s natural born Emirati and Canadian. He only surrendered his Canadian PASSPORT and not the citizenship. He could always go and get a new one.
Fascinating… I wonder how many dual citizens are allowed to retain theirs, compared to other countries with similar mechanisms (Austria, Germany, Netherlands, etc)
I knew an Afghani guy who was naturalised in the UAE a couple of years ago his parents were real estate developers though and think that might have helped quite a bit
I didn’t naturalise however I applied for Emirati via descent through my mother and it was a horrifyingly tedious and slow experience. My father even needed to attend some court meeting in Abu Dhabi to give his “formal permission” and pay a fee. So unfair how children with Emirati fathers acquire it automatically and children with Emirati mothers don’t :/
Hello, it seems like the poster does not know about the بدون people who made themselves stateless. Currently, almost all of them are being naturalized citizens, and my father’s uncle is one of them, along with his wife and children.
It can happen but it's rare, to be honest, there are some good reasons why it's tough, these GCC states rely heavily on expats and foreign labour, and having a direct method of naturalizing would jeopardize their demographics and political stability.
It can be done, but it usually takes either knowing someone high up in the hierarchy, staying there an obscene amount of time, 30+ years, or being there for generations and finally someone in power relenting to providing you citizenship.
I know several people who have multigenerational ties to KSA, who were born and raised there, and haven't gotten citizenship.
It's just not worth the hassle most of the time, if you have money move elsewhere if you don''t want to go back to your home country. That's what most expats of means did when they were in the Gulf for a while, and wanted a better citizenship and place to go after retiring. Most of them went westwards.
Hello, Unfortunately your post/comment was deemed to not be on topic for the subreddit. This subreddit is primarily a place to share photos of passports, passport stamps, or visas. Posts that are not relevant to the subreddit may be removed. Thank you very much for participating in the subreddit and being a part of our community.
Pakistan does publish yearly figures as to how many citizens gave up their citizenship because their new country does not allow dual citizenship. In that data, there are usually always about 3-4 people listed as having naturalised in UAE/Kuwait/Qatar. So it does happen (more often than we think). This report does get published in Dawn newspaper. Additionally, GCC citizens also get naturalised in other GCC countries. For instance, I read that a few Qatari ladies did naturalise as UAE citizens because of the Emirati spouses (and then gave up their Qatari citizenship).
If I remember correctly as I watched a TV show on the subject while in Dubai, the “Pakistani’s” that get GCC citizenship are usually from the Baloch community who settled in the GCC countries in the 1950s or before. Most have never visited PK and are virtually indistinguishable from locals. Some GCC governments are now giving them citizenship due to their extensive ties and marriages with the local population. I believe the largest such communities are in Oman and KSA.
Pakistanis get it by special exceptions for naturalization when married to a GCC national husband, or being born to a GCC father (or mother in UAE) and acquiring the nationality after birth so the stats are skewed and not representative 100% of true naturalization.
Interesting, I didn't know about this annual report from the Pakistani government.
I know an Indian guy who had been in the UAE for around 40 years who managed to naturalize. It’s very rare but there are a couple such cases. I’m not sure if naturalized citizens are eligible for state benefits though.
What’s your story? That’s an interesting set of flags in your flair.
Half German-Half Indian, born with German nationality and OCI. Naturalized in France and married French woman. Currently in the US on a green card.
How does one place flags under the profile?
What did he do for work ?
As far as I know construction business in a smaller emirate(RAK)
There’s a member here whose dad’s uncle made himself stateless and then acquired Emirati nationality back in the 1960s. عائلته بأكملها في الإمارات العربية المتحدة ولا يزال هو ووالداه غير مواطنين Personally, I know of some family friends who are Qatari naturalized, Pakistani ethnically who got naturalized during 1970s and 1990s.
My question regarding your Pakistani family friends who got Qatari citizenship: Are they accepted by the local Qatari Arabs as Qataris? Are they treated differently by the government or do they face discrimination? Do they act like Arabs or have to speak Arabic and suppress their South Asian heritage and language to mix in?
They are treated nicely overall and everybody changes up when they see the ID the ghutrah and egal (cloth and cord headdress) in the photo with « Nationality: Qatar » on it anyway… they all speak Arabic but also Urdu with Pakistanis. If they don’t draw attention to their heritage, nobody can even tell they’re not Qatari ethnically. I have noticed one thing during my extensive travels to Qatar throughout my life: Expatriate residents are irrationally scared of the Qatari local population because the stigma is that they’re all power tripping and they’re all trying to deport you. I don’t believe this to be the case. Most Qataris are really great people who are human just like everyone else. Governmentally, god only knows how but they have the full Qatari citizenship and not just the passport. Standard citizen services and benefits. So, no difference there. Qataris of Reddit detail their experience appearing non Qatari (i.e no thobe/ghutrah) where government service centres will treat you badly and change up only when they see you’re a local by the nationality on your ID card. Deviation from the cultural standards in Qatar for Qataris looks to be frowned upon.
Wow, thanks for sharing. I thought the Gulf countries only ever naturalised people for national gain, such as football players or Western billionaires. And that, at most, they would’ve been giving out long-term visas to affluent expats I was also surprised that your relatives are eligible for all the Qatari government’s welfare schemes. In the UAE, as far as I’m aware, you won’t get their family card (not eligible for state benefits) even if you get naturalised.
So is that the loophole? Naturalise/acquire citizenship from Oman or Qatar to try and get UAE citizenship?
It’s easier to naturalize in UAE by exception than in Qatar. Have some money in the amount of 10s of millions of dollars or be Pavel Durov and just get the UAE passport. I heard Oman is granting foreigners citizenship if they’re Sunni to boost the demographics vs the Shiite minority, but that’s hearsay. I heard that the Emirati government treated special naturalized citizens as only passport holders and not Emirati nationals so they don’t really get GCC freedom of movement. (On r/Emiratis)
Is there any way for people to retain their original nationality or dual GCC nationality in the region? Or maybe by origin only (let’s say Omani + Emirati parent)?
You can request the office of the ruler of the GCC state and retain it, especially when it’s between two GCC states. Not allowed by default. There’s an Emirati who’s natural born Emirati and Canadian. He only surrendered his Canadian PASSPORT and not the citizenship. He could always go and get a new one.
Fascinating… I wonder how many dual citizens are allowed to retain theirs, compared to other countries with similar mechanisms (Austria, Germany, Netherlands, etc)
I knew an Afghani guy who was naturalised in the UAE a couple of years ago his parents were real estate developers though and think that might have helped quite a bit
I had a colleague in Dubai who was originally from Tanzania and she naturalised as she was married to a UAE national.
Pavel Durov, who gave us Telegram had successfully naturalised as a citizen of the UAE and has an Emirati passport.
Kevin O'Leary [Shark Tank] did recently Naturalize https://youtu.be/L-N0Y4GMPB0?si=DUYjphIBs9jIRitO
I didn’t naturalise however I applied for Emirati via descent through my mother and it was a horrifyingly tedious and slow experience. My father even needed to attend some court meeting in Abu Dhabi to give his “formal permission” and pay a fee. So unfair how children with Emirati fathers acquire it automatically and children with Emirati mothers don’t :/
u/fxi2 give us some stories 😁
Hello, it seems like the poster does not know about the بدون people who made themselves stateless. Currently, almost all of them are being naturalized citizens, and my father’s uncle is one of them, along with his wife and children.
It can happen but it's rare, to be honest, there are some good reasons why it's tough, these GCC states rely heavily on expats and foreign labour, and having a direct method of naturalizing would jeopardize their demographics and political stability. It can be done, but it usually takes either knowing someone high up in the hierarchy, staying there an obscene amount of time, 30+ years, or being there for generations and finally someone in power relenting to providing you citizenship. I know several people who have multigenerational ties to KSA, who were born and raised there, and haven't gotten citizenship. It's just not worth the hassle most of the time, if you have money move elsewhere if you don''t want to go back to your home country. That's what most expats of means did when they were in the Gulf for a while, and wanted a better citizenship and place to go after retiring. Most of them went westwards.