UAE passport is world's most powerful

  DUBAI - A country in the Middle East has just outranked all other countries for the distinction of having the world's most powerful passport. What country has the world's most powerful piece of document? The UAE. The UAE on Saturday (December 1) achieved the top ranking in the global Passport Index. The achievement was hailed as a tribute to the legacy of Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's founding father. It also came as the UAE celebrates its 47th National Day. The UAE had set its sights on having the Emirati passport on the list of the five most powerful passports in the world by 2021. In 2016, the UAE reached the 27th spot on the global index, and by October 2018, it had risen up to the 4th spot, three years earlier than its goal. The Passport Index ranks national passports based on the number of countries a holder can enter without a visa or by obtaining one on arrival. A UAE passport holder can travel to 167 countries without the need for pre-visa requirements. Singapore ranks second with 166 countries. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, said the world "opens its doors to the people of the UAE". Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, said the achievement was "a true reflection of the legacy of Sheikh Zayed, the Founding Father of the UAE". "It also underscores what can be achieved through positive diplomacy, reflecting the UAE as a confident and engaged force at the global stage," Sheikh Abdullah. GAD/Expat 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