The UAE is the only Arab country ranked on the list of the world's top 20 most powerful passports in the first quarter of 2022, according to the Henley Passport Index.
The Emirates moved up one place into 15th place on the global index, the highest spot the Arab world's second-largest economy has achieved since the index was launched in 2006.
UAE passport holders can now enter 175 destinations around the world visa-free, according to the index, which ranks the strength of 199 passports.
Japan and Singapore were crowned joint first on the Henley Passport Index, which assesses the travel documents based on how many countries citizens have access to without the need for a visa, using data from the International Air Transport Association.
Passport holders of the two Asian countries can now enter 192 destinations around the world visa-free – 166 more than Afghans, who rank last and only have access to 26 countries where they do not require a visa in advance, according to the research findings released on Tuesday.
“Passports and visas are among the most important instruments [affecting] social inequality worldwide as they determine opportunities for global mobility,” said Christian Kaelin, chairman of global investment migration company Henley & Partners.
Germany and South Korea held on to joint second spot, with their passport holders able to enter 190 destinations visa-free, while Finland, Italy, Luxembourg and Spain shared third place, with their citizens having visa-free access to 189 destinations.
US and UK passports regained some of their previous strength after falling to eighth place in 2020 – the lowest spot held by either country in the index’s 16-year history.
Both countries are now ranked sixth, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 186, according to the index.
Ukraine and Georgia also made significant progress, with both moving up 25 spots in the rankings over the past 10 years, making them the highest climbers in the Commonwealth of Independent States region.
Passports and visas are among the most important instruments [affecting] social inequality worldwide as they determine opportunities for global mobility
Christian Kaelin,
chairman of Henley & Partners
In the Middle East, Qatar is ranked 53rd, followed closely by Kuwait in 54th place. Bahrain is ranked 62nd while Oman is 64th and Saudi Arabia is in 65th position.
The most recent data from the Henley Passport Index shows a worrying gap in global mobility, the biggest in the index’s history.
In 2006, a person could, on average, visit 57 countries without needing a visa in advance, according to Henley & Partners. Today, that number has grown to 107.
However, the overall increase masks a growing disparity between countries, with citizens from nations such as Sweden and the US able to visit more than 180 destinations visa-free while passport holders from Angola, Cameroon and Laos are only able to enter about 50 countries.
Wealthier countries’ gains in travel freedom have come at the expense of poorer countries, which have experienced mounting barriers to entry in recent years, according to research by Henley & Partners.
“The research reinforces the harsh realities of global mobility today: if you are fortunate enough to have a passport from a rich and stable country – regardless of form of government – you can move relatively easily across international borders,” said Erol Yayboke, director of the Project on Fragility and Mobility at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
“If not, the difficulties of poverty and conflict forcing you to leave home are just the beginning of a tough journey abroad.”
Meanwhile, the movement restrictions imposed to contain the spread of Covid-19 resulted in a wider global move to embrace other citizenships, the research found.
Ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWI) are seeking alternative residencies and citizenship as a result of the pandemic, property consultancy Knight Frank said in a report last year.
Globally, about a quarter of UHNWIs planned to apply for a second passport or citizenship in 2020, the Knight Frank survey said.
“During the current economic crisis, countries with established residence-by-investment programmes have benefitted from the alternative revenue stream,” said Juerg Steffen, chief executive of Henley & Partners.
"Clearly, governments that adjust their policies to allow foreign investors to settle with ease will win the competitive race for both revenue and talent in 2022."
The UAE announced last year that non-Emiratis can obtain Emirati citizenship. Skilled professionals will be nominated by government or royal court officials.
People eligible for nomination include investors, people with specialist qualifications – such as doctors or scientists – as well as artists and other “talented” or “creative” people.
The strongest passports in the first quarter of 2022:
- Japan and Singapore
- Germany and South Korea
- Finland, Italy, Luxembourg and Spain
- Austria, Denmark, France, Netherlands and Sweden
- Ireland and Portugal
- Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, the UK and the US
- Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Greece and Malta
- Hungary and Poland
- Lithuania and Slovakia
- Estonia, Latvia and Slovenia
The weakest passports in the first quarter of 2022:
- Afghanistan
- Iraq
- Syria
- Pakistan
- Yemen
- Somalia
- Nepal and Palestine
- North Korea
- Bangladesh, Kosovo and Libya
- Lebanon, Sri Lanka and Sudan
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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
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iPhone XR
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8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
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Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
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Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
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Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster with a decades-long career in TV. He has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others. Karam is also the founder of Takreem.
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