Revealed: Top 10 greatest passports of the decade, UAE tops list

The UAE has emerged as having the “greatest passport” of the last decade, according to new listings released by Passport Index, which ranks global passports.

“Posting an outstanding 161 per cent increase in its passport power between 2010 and 2019, the UAE is the unicorn of the decade,” the report said.

The UAE’s passport gained a total of over 111 visa waivers, most of which have taken place in the last three years, the index found. Its 2019 mobility score stood at 179.

“As their goal to rise within the top five was achieved three years ahead of time, their momentum and mission grew stronger as they strived to reach first place before the end of 2018,” the report said.

“Triumphing and maintaining the lead for over a year to date, the UAE’s meteoric rise became one of the most intriguing examples of a successfully accomplished national goal.”

The report also hailed the last decade – 2010s – as leaving a lasting mark on global mobility and the increasing value of positive power.

“Contrary to popular perception, in an era of building walls and closing borders, the world has considerably opened up in the past decade,” it said.

According to Passport Index’ World Openness Score, “the world has never been more open than today”, shared Armand Arton, founder and president of Arton Capital.

The current real-time World Openness Score is valued at 21,360. If every single country were to travel freely one to another, the absolute openness score would equate to 39,601, suggesting that 54 per cent of our world was open in 2019 and keeps growing year after year.

“At an average increase of 4 per cent year-over-year, it would be incredible to assume that by 2035 the entire world be open for travel,” added Arton.

Over the last 10 years, the Passport Index also identified a common trend in island nations surfing slowly higher in the ranks as the fastest-growing passports, African nations swiftly escaping the lowest-ranking bottom, and many countries within the European Union remaining stagnant and comfortable at the top.

“Throughout this decade, underdogs became a testament to the power of breaking down walls and borders as barriers, and seeing them as gateways to growth, freedom, and opportunity,” the report added.

TOP 10 GREATEST PASSPORTS OF THE DECADE

The 2019 winners

The report also identified the passports that performed the best in the last year.

The UAE once again topped the list, adding another 12 countries to its mobility score.

In the meantime, Qatar also gained 12 visa waivers throughout 2019, followed by Rwanda.

Saudi Arabia also made it to the list of the top 10 with over nine visa waivers.

“Saudi Arabia announced its bold vision to grow and diversify its economy and position the country to play a leading role in global development with the launch of NEOM, a new city for innovation and human progress. It comes as no surprise that strengthening global relations and improving passport power is an imperative tool to accomplish this national goal by 2030,” the report said.