Published on : Wednesday, May 23, 2018
As per the recent Henley Passport Index published on Tuesday, UAE’s passport is ranked 23rd, and remains the fastest climber on the index, ascending 38 places since 2008.
For its citizens this year, the country has initiated new visa-waivers than other world jurisdiction and maintains its top position in the Gulf region.
Japan has merged its spot at the top of the Index, and providing its citizens visa-free or visa-on-arrival access as of now to a record number of 189 destinations. Just behind Japan, Singapore and Germany occupies joint 2nd place, with 188 destinations accessible without any prior visa. Six countries share the 3rd place like South Korea, Finland, France, Italy, Spain, and Sweden.
The UAE positions top as the Middle East region places tourism firmly on the agenda.
The UAE occupies the leading spot towards improved travel freedom, which has gained access to eight new countries this year like China, Ireland, Burkina Faso, Uruguay, Guinea, Tonga, Benin, and Honduras.
The reciprocal agreement of the country with China has led to the Emirati hospitality and tourist industries reporting growth of around 70 percent in comparison to the last year, as Chinese travelers started taking advantage of their newfound access to the Middle East’s main hub.