UAE hits record high in Henley...

Arab nation makes top 10 for the first time

The UAE passport is now one of the most powerful in the world, according to the annual Henley Passport Index, offering visa-free access to 185 destinations.

This is the first time an Arab nation has made the Top 10, with the UAE climbing 32 places since 2015, adding a further 72 destinations.

Six countries shared the top position last year but now Singapore leads the passport power pack with visa-free access to 195 out of 227 destinations worldwide, with Japan second on 193.

Several countries share joint third place on the list, with France, Germany, Italy and Spain dropping from joint first, and Finland and South Korea also dropping one place. All of those countries offer visa-free access to 192 destinations.

The rest of the countries in the top 10 are mainly European nations, with the exception of Australia (6th place), Canada (7th) and the US (9th). The US is among countries that have seen the greatest decline on the Index in the last decade, falling from second place to its current position. Ten years ago, the UK had the most powerful passport but now sits in fifth place.

Afghanistan is bottom of the list with access to just 26 destinations, creating the biggest gap between top and bottom in the list’s 19-year history.

Produced by Henley & Partners, the Henley Passport Index is the original ranking of the world’s passports according to visa-free access to destinations. However, there are other indices, including Arton Capital’s real-time Passport Index, which ranks the UAE in, ahead of Spain in second place.

For more information, visit henleyglobal.com/passport-index

DISCOVER LUXURY AT LA VALLÉE VILLAGE