The UAE passport has jumped more than 30 places from last year to be ranked the most powerful in the world in an annual list compiled by offshore consulting firm Nomad Capitalist.
The Emirati passport was ranked No 35 on the 2022 index, but has jumped to number one thanks to visa-free entry to the most countries (181), no income taxes and global reputation.
Unlike the Henley Passport Index, which placed the UAE passport at 15 this year, based solely on the number of destinations holders can access without obtaining a prior visa, the Nomad Passport Index assesses five factors, each given a different score. They are: visa-free travel, taxation of citizens, global perception, willingness to grant dual citizenship and personal freedom.
"The UAE has entered the top ten for the first time this year, jumping straight to number one from 35th last year. This is largely due to recent changes allowing foreigners to apply for dual citizenship, which, combined with the travel freedoms afforded by a UAE passport, plus the country’s business-friendly environment and enviable tax system, puts the UAE top of our list for 2023," the report said.
No other Middle Eastern passports appear in the top 20, with Luxembourg and Switzerland tied in second; and Ireland and Portugal tied in fourth to round off the top five passports.
Jovana Vojinovic, Nomad Capitalist’s director of operations and sales, called the UAE passport the “winner of the decade".
"The UAE added 106 new visa-free countries in the last decade, which is an amazing number,” she told CNBC.
"Perception of it improved in the past year because of an influx of rich and famous people who moved there," she added.
Vojinovic praised the UAE's "very liberal" visa policies and its openness to foreigners and investment.
The most powerful passports in the world, according to Nomad Capitalist
1. UAE: 111 total score
2. Luxembourg: 108
2. Switzerland: 108
4. Ireland: 108
4. Portugal: 108
6. Germany: 107
6. Czech Republic: 107
8. New Zealand: 107
9. Sweden: 106
9. Finland: 106
9. The Netherlands: 106
Henley Passport Index's world's most powerful passports — in pictures
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
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Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
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As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
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