Holder of a United Arab Emirates passport? You have one of the most powerful passports in the world according the Henley Passport Index, and it’s climbing higher each year.
The recent index, which analyses the ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa, shows the UAE has climbed 47 places over the past 10 years.
Now sitting at 18th place, it currently has a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 171 – the number meaning UAE passport holders can visit these countries around the world without a visa.
Other Middle Eastern countries have also seen a rise in position, with Saudi Arabia climbing four spots now in 66th place, with citizens able to access 77 destinations, while Oman climbed three places, now in 64th place, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 79.
As for the countries who broke the top spots, Japan has secured the top spot on the index for the third year in a row, with a score of 191, while Singapore holds onto second place with a score of 190.
South Korea dropped to third place along with Germany, scoring 189 destinations, and the US and the UK share eighth place, although declining since their number one spot they jointly held in 2015.
CEO of Henley & Partners, Dr. Juerg Steffen, states that countries with investment migration programs continue to consolidate their positions on the index.
“Demand is accelerating, just as the supply has grown globally, with both nations and wealthy individuals viewing these programs as an absolute requirement in a volatile world where competition for capital is fierce,” said Steffen.
With its huge boost of trade and tourism over the past years, we’re sure the UAE passport will get stronger by the year.
It’s also been recently revealed that the UAE has announced plans for a new five-year tourist visa. Check out more info right here.
The UAE was also crowned the best travel destination in the world, having won 282 travel awards in the past five years. Find out more here.
