Despite an increase of three ranks internationally, the UAE passport continues to be the strongest in the area. It is currently the 12th most potent passport in the world.
According to the most recent Henley Passport Index, which was issued late on Tuesday, UAE passport holders may travel to 179 countries without a visa before flights, up from 176 in July 2022 and 178 at the end of last year.
“Over the previous 10 years, the UAE has advanced 44 places in the list, from 56th to 12th, thanks to the addition of an amazing 107 visa-free locations. This is nearly twice as much as the next-biggest climber, Colombia, which has climbed 28 places to sit in
Dr Christian H. Kaelin, CEO of Henley & Partners and creator of the passport index, claimed that 37th place.
Henley & Partners’ most recent rating is based on verified information from the International Air Transport Association (Iata).
The second-strongest passport in the GCC is held by Qatar, which is ranked 52nd internationally, ahead of Kuwait (54), Bahrain (59), Oman (60), and Saudi Arabia (61).
According to Henley & Partners, “Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations have usually demonstrated higher-than-average changes towards enhanced openness, with the UAE’s openness score rising from 58 to 80 since 2018 and Oman’s soaring from 71 to 106 over the same time.
Only the UAE has benefited from this, according to Dr. Robert Mogielnicki, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.
Only the UAE, according to the report, has seen a considerable improvement in its own travel freedom.
Regional governments can influence the development equation’s supply side by changing visa policies, implementing reforms, and starting new programmes. Increased availability of these services does not, however, imply reciprocity or a sudden increase in consumer and business demand worldwide. According to reports, a Schengen-style visa is being developed to make travel between GCC nations easier. Such a move would necessitate tighter regional coordination of visa policies, perhaps improving the openness ratings of some GCC nations and putting the entire region more squarely in the international limelight, he added.