Emiratis have the ‘most powerful passport’in the GCC: report
The UAE passport was named the most powerful in the GCC yesterday, a product of the significant growth in the number of countries that Emiratis are able to visit without a visa.
The Government accepted a certificate bestowed by the Passport Index during a ceremony.
Developed by Arton Capital, the adviser for residence and citizenship, the index ranks national passports by the cross-border access they bring, assigning a “visa-free score” according to the number of countries a passport holder can visit visa-free or with visa on arrival.
UAE passport holders enjoy a visa-free score of 128, which puts the passport in the world’s top 25.
In recent months, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation started to further enhance the power of the UAE passport to allow Emiratis visa-free travel to as many countries as possible, with agreements signed with Brazil and Argentina and plans for another 18 countries this year alone.
“These great accomplishments reflect the strategic, political, economic, social and cultural dimensions being enjoyed by the UAE at an international level,” said Ahmed Al Dhaheri, the ministry’s assistant undersecretary for consular affairs.
“The higher ranking of the UAE passport is one of the most important achievements of UAE diplomacy led by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation.”
The ministry recently launched the UAE Passport Force initiative, with the goal of placing the country’s passport on the list of the five most important passports in the world by 2021.