The UAE’s passport took the lead with a record-breaking score in the Global Passport Power Ranking, according to the interactive real-time ranking platform The Passport Index. The UAE passport now holds a visa-free score of 167, giving Emirati citizens access to over 84 per cent of the world.

The Passport Index created by the Arton Capital, ranks passports based on the number of countries the holder can visit without first obtaining a visa or applying for one on entry.

Armand Arton, founder and president of Arton Capital, said that The Passport Index is the most prominent rating of a passport’s power through an interactive platform that continuously monitors changes and developments, adding that it has become the world’s premier reference for governments.

“We continuously compare the passports of 193 countries and 6 regions of the UN members and work to collect data directly through publicly available information, government sources and international bodies,” said Arton.

As UAE citizens celebrate their passport’s glory, the country is also setting an example to other nations, both in the Arab World and beyond, that positive diplomacy can yield substantial results.