The UAE passport has maintained its distinction and strength among the strongest passports in the world, securing the first place in the Arab world and the twelfth place globally according to the Henley & Partners index.
Singapore has displaced Japan from the top of the strongest passports globally, allowing its citizens to visit 193 destinations worldwide without a visa, while two Arab countries languish at the bottom of the list.
Asia has long dominated the top of the strongest passport list in the Henley & Partners Global Citizenship and Residence Advisory Firm index, with Germany, Italy, and Spain climbing to second place, granting travel to 190 destinations without prior visas.
Austria, Finland, France, Japan, Luxembourg, South Korea, and Sweden secured third place for the strongest passports, as holders of these nationalities can travel to 189 countries without a visa.
Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the UK came in fourth on the passport strength index (188 countries), followed by Belgium, the Czech Republic, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, and Switzerland with 187 destinations according to the firm's data.
Canada and Greece ranked fifth with 185 destinations, then Lithuania and the United States, which dropped two ranks to 184 destinations, having topped the list in 2014. Following them are Latvia, Slovakia, and Slovenia with 183 destinations, then Estonia and Iceland with 182.
The Henley Passport Index relies on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and ranks 199 passports worldwide, updating their strength in real-time throughout the year, alongside any changes that come into effect.
### Ranking of Arab Countries
Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria are at the bottom of the index ranking as the three weakest passports in the world, with the Afghan passport allowing entry into only 27 countries without a visa.
The Iraqi passport permits entry to only 29 countries without a visa, followed by Syria with 30 destinations.
The UAE topped the list of Arab countries in passport strength, allowing its citizens to enter 179 countries without a prior visa, followed by Qatar with a total of 103 destinations, and Kuwait with 99 destinations.
Bahrain ranked fourth among Arab countries in the passport index with a total of 88 destinations, followed by Oman with 85 destinations, and Saudi Arabia with 83 destinations.
Tunisia ranked seventh among Arab countries with a total of 71 destinations, followed by Morocco with 67 destinations, then Algeria and Egypt with 54.
The Jordanian passport allows entry into 53 countries, followed by Sudan with 44 destinations, and Lebanon with 43, while Libya has 41, Palestine 38, and Somalia and Yemen each with 35.
