Emiratis top the region in nationality status

▶ The UAE climbs three places to rank 46th in the world, sustaining a five-year upward trend

UAE nationals enjoy the best opportunities in the Arab region, a global ranking report shows.

The UAE attained 46th place in last year’s edition of the Henley and Partners – Kochenov Quality of Nationality Index,

which “objectively measures and ranks all of the world’s nationalities as legal statuses through which to develop talents and business”.

The ranking places the Emirates higher than countries in the rest of the Arab region, with Kuwait second at 82.

“The Emirati nationality has climbed 13 positions over the past five years, making a significant leap forward when its holders received visa-free travel access to the Schengen Area in 2016,” said Henley and Partners, which also has a ranking of the world’s passports.

“The nationality of the UAE continued this trend in 2017 with an additional 10 visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel destinations, now boasting 130 such destinations in total and overtaking the Israeli nationality as the best nationality in the region. As a result, it pushes further into the world’s top 50, moving from 49th place in 2016 to 46th place in 2017.”

Qatar suffered a “remarkable freefall” because of the dispute with its GCC neighbours, the report said, reducing the value of the Qatari nationality from 70th place in 2016 to 87th place last year.

“In fact, despite a relatively strong starting point [56th place in the first index in 2013], the Qatari nationality has dropped more significantly over time than war-torn and unstable Libya, Syria, and Iraq,” Henley and Partners said.

Colombia has been the highest climber since 2013, rising 50 positions to 61st place.

France’s quality of nationality is the best in the world, the report said. Germany in second place, Iceland in third, Denmark in fourth and then the Netherlands round out the top five. The United States ranks 27th while the UK dropped to 13th place and is expected to fall further with Brexit, the firm said.

The ranking is based on factors such as peace and stability, economic strength, diversity of travel freedom and settlement freedom.

The report said the index “will be of interest to anyone who is curious about how their nationality performs in comparison to other nationalities and about the local, regional and global opportunities and limitations associated with their nationality.

“The index is of particular significance to financially independent individuals who wish to acquire the benefits of an alternative citizenship.

“These individuals can use the QNI as a reference tool when selecting the most valuable second or third nationality for themselves and their families.”

The report says nationality can play a role in establishing a “highly irrational ceiling for our opportunities and aspirations, reflecting the core aspect of being a national of some place, which is a random consequence of birth boasting no correlation with a person’s achievements, ideas, feelings, and desires – ‘a birthright lottery’.”

The ranking is based on factors such as peace and stability, economic strength and diversity of travel freedom