UAE passport now 12th most powerful in the world; citizens get visa-free entry to 179 countries

UAE passport now 12th most powerful in the world; citizens get visa-free entry to 179 countries

The UAE passport remains the strongest in the region, with its international ranking improving by three positions. It is now the 12th most powerful passport globally. According to the latest Henley Passport Index released late on Tuesday, UAE passport holders can go to 179 countries without obtaining a visa before flights — as compared to 178 countries at the end of last year and 176 in July 2022. “The UAE has added an impressive 107 destinations to its visa-free score since 2013, resulting in a massive leap of 44 places in the ranking over the past 10 years from 56th to 12th position. This is almost double the next biggest climber, Colombia, which has enjoyed a jump of 28 places in the ranking to sit in 37th spot,” said Dr Christian H. Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners and the inventor of the passport index. The latest ranking by Henley and Partners is based on official data from the International Air Transport Association (Iata). Ranked 52nd globally, Qatar is the second strongest passport in the GCC region, followed by Kuwait (54), Bahrain (59), Oman (60) and Saudi Arabia (61). Schengen-style GCC visa “Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have generally displayed