In a brief essay (152 p.), Vânia Carvalho Pinto addresses the policies and narratives adopted by the Emirati state towards its female citizens, from its foundation in 1971 to 2009. The author makes a convincing argument that the incorporation of women in the nation-building process of the United Arab Emirates has played a major role in the State’s legitimating strategies. She also shows how the evolution of the latter is intertwined with the transformation of the national identity narrative, ...