UAE passport most powerful in the Arab region, with visa-free access to 173 countries

Gulf Today Report

A new global ranking revealed the most powerful passports for 2021.

It was learnt that the United Arab Emirates ranked first in the Arab world and 16th in the world, according to the Henley Passport Index.

The classification is based on passports that allow entry to the largest possible number of countries without the need for a prior visa, according to the British newspaper "Daily Mail."

The index depends on its classification on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association.

The UAE passport allows entry to 173 countries.

Passengers queue up for boarding at an airport. File

The index pointed out that the UAE passport continues "its wonderful path, especially after the country signed several agreements to exempt visas last year."

According to the index, Japan possesses the most powerful passport in the world for the fourth consecutive year.

"Citizens of Japan can visit 191 countries around the world without a visa," according to Henley.
The Singaporean passport holds the second position, which enables people to visit 190 countries, and third place was held by South Korea and Germany with travel to 189 countries.

The fourth place included Finland, Italy, Luxembourg and Spain with 188 countries, while Austria and Denmark shared the fifth place with 187 countries.

The British passport rose from eighth place from the beginning of 2020 to seventh position with travel to 185 countries, along with the US passport, despite its exit from the European Union.