The Family Book System: Sociocultural Impact on Emirati Family Dynamics

Abstract

The United Arab Emirates’ Family Book (Khulasat Al Qaid) is an advanced governmental documentation system that transcends simple civil registration by serving as a multidimensional tool for citizenship verification, national identity construction, and family legitimization. This analysis employs qualitative methods—policy document review, demographic data inspection, and sociological interpretatio—to explore how the Family Book shapes family relationships, influences identity formation, and impacts diverse family structures within the UAE’s unique demographic and cultural context. The system functions effectively as both an administrative mechanism and complex social technology, facilitating citizenship verification, benefit allocation, and national identity consolidation. Notably, the patrilineal transmission framework produces varied experiences, especially for mixed-nationality families. The UAE’s 2021 reforms, allowing Emirati mothers to sponsor children’s residence permits and expanding naturalization pathways, establish the country as the most progressive GCC nation in citizenship modernization. While the system enjoys cultural legitimacy and administrative effectiveness, ongoing refinement aligned with Vision 2071 goals of gender balance, family wellbeing, and social cohesion is recommended. This work, ddressing this understudied field, contributes to policy discourse by illustrating the UAE’s model of balancing progressive reform, cultural authenticity, and demographic sustainability while respecting its sovereign authority in citizenship policy desing, bringing a new perspective to the gcc families