Children born to Emirati mothers and expat fathers can finally qualify for citizenship, according to a monumental decree issued by UAE president Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Wednesday.

Previously, as in other GCC nations including Qatar, citizenship – and the many privileges that it conferred – could only be passed down through the father.

The decision, which grants children the same rights as other nationals and allows them to apply for Emirati citizenship when they reach 18 years of age, has raised hopes that a similar measure will pass in Qatar.

Here, the call for Qatari women to enjoy the same rights as local men has grown louder in recent months, with even local media weighing on the issue.

The Peninsula reports:

Moza Al Malki, a prominent Qatari psychologist, said that with the UAE passing the above law, she expected the phenomenon to spread in the entire GCC like a ‘jungle fire’.

The UAE’s step, she hinted, would go a long way in resolving to some extent the problem of population since UAE citizens remain heavily outnumbered by expatriates.

What do you guys think? Could Qatar make its own special National Day announcement this year?