Over the past year, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has witnessed a notable improvement in passport strength, climbing two positions to secure the 11th spot in the Henley & Partner’s 2024 Passport Index. This advancement provides UAE passport holders with visa-free access to 183 countries, reflecting the nation’s growing global influence. Impressively, the UAE has been the most significant climber on the Index over the last decade, adding 106 destinations to its visa-free score since 2014. This substantial leap catapulted the UAE from the 55th to the 11th position, underscoring the country’s commitment to enhancing international relations.
Within the Middle East, the UAE continues to lead, surpassing regional counterparts such as Qatar (53), Kuwait (55), Bahrain (59), Oman (60), and Saudi Arabia (61) in passport strength. The consistent upward trajectory in the past ten years reflects the UAE’s proactive efforts to foster diplomatic ties and increase global engagement.
Comparatively, Afghanistan (104), Syria (103), Iraq (102), Pakistan (101), and Yemen (100) find themselves at the bottom of the 2024 Passport Index. This underscores the disparity in global mobility, emphasizing the challenges faced by citizens of these nations in terms of international travel and opportunities.
The broader global context reveals that European countries, including France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, alongside Japan and Singapore, boast the most powerful passports. Citizens of these nations can visit an impressive 194 destinations visa-free. Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners, notes the widening global mobility gap, emphasizing that the top-ranked countries can now travel to 166 more destinations visa-free than Afghanistan, which sits at the bottom with access to only 28 countries.
As the global landscape evolves, passport strength remains a crucial determinant of a nation’s global standing, influencing diplomatic relationships, economic cooperation, and the opportunities available to its citizens on the international stage.
