The United Arab Emirates has recorded another milestone in its two-decade campaign to boost global mobility for citizens. The latest Henley Passport Index, released on 22 July 2026, shows the UAE passport surging three places to rank 2nd in the world with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 188 destinations. The only passport that opens more doors is Singapore’s, with 192 destinations. The UAE’s leap is also the biggest 20-year gain in the history of the index, having added 153 visa-free destinations since 2006. Diplomats and migration advisers say the result crowns years of visa-waiver diplomacy, bilateral trade agreements and reciprocal investment treaties that positioned the Emirates as a neutral partner amid intensifying geopolitical rivalry. In 2024–26 alone, Abu Dhabi signed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPAs) with Indonesia, Türkiye, South Korea and, most recently, Kenya, each of which included mobility annexes that paved the way for short-stay visa waivers. For businesses, the ranking translates into faster deal-making and lower compliance costs, as Emirati executives can fly almost anywhere at short notice without lengthy paperwork. The upgrade also has domestic implications. In the past, Emiratis sometimes chose a second citizenship to bypass Schengen or North-American visa queues. Consultants now report a sharp drop in such inquiries, saving families tens of thousands of dirhams in citizenship-by-investment fees. Travel-tech companies expect demand for last-minute leisure trips to rise by 12 % this winter, based on booking data from 2025 when the passport first cracked the global top five. HR and global-mobility managers should revisit business-travel policies that still assume Emirati staff need advance visas. The foreign-affairs ministry’s smart-phone app “UAE Passports” already carries an updated list of destinations and entry conditions; in-house travel teams are advised to synchronise their duty-of-care dashboards accordingly. Where pre-departure biometrics or electronic travel authorisations (ETAs) remain mandatory—such as the EU’s upcoming ETIAS system—companies should build in the new digital steps well ahead of the 2027 enforcement date. Looking ahead, officials hint that further gains are possible. Speaking on the Henley webcast, UAE economic envoy Dr. Thani Al-Zeyoudi said ongoing trade talks with Brazil and Vietnam include “ambitious mobility chapters”. If concluded, analysts believe the Emirates could match or even surpass Singapore in the next two years, cementing its role as a gateway between Global North and Global South.
Source: Aletihad News Center
