This chapter includes three empirical case studies to explore identity construction from different perspectives including: (1) state-led identity construction in social studies education reforms and contents; (2) community-led heritage festivals; and (3) the lived experiences of individual Emiratis. The substantive section examines recent standardisations of the social studies curriculum and the introduction of the Sana’ (etiquette) programme, which purports to teach Emirati customs to local students. A contents analysis of the textbooks used reveals themes of national pride, civic responsibility and family cohesion, among others, that fit the state’s narrative of belonging. While the diverse geographies of the UAE are acknowledged, specific local or tribal customs are not identified as such, fostering an inclusive and all-encompassing national identity articulated from the top down. The second section examines how local village communities contribute to national identity construction through heritage festivals. While often overlapping with tribal and family settlements, these local communities are complex mediators between states and individuals. Event ethnographies conducted in each of the four environments demonstrate the decentralised nature of these celebrations, which reflect the local values alongside state narratives. The third case study examines the responses to in-depth interviews with individual Emiratis on the topic of belonging and attachment to the state. Emergent themes demonstrate the conceptualisation of the nation as an integrated family, with the government as a wise provider and father figure. What makes an Emirati, then, is much more than merely holding a passport or getting one’s share of the economic benefits from the rentier state. The findings suggest that individuals form an attachment to the state in response to state narratives about belonging that are instilled in them through school curricula and community heritage festivals. These attachments are mediated through the lens of community belonging, in the form of one’s immediate family, larger tribe, neighbourhood, or even the geographic environment.