The UAE has moved up one position in the Henley Passport Index, which ranks the strength of passports across the world.
In January, the UAE ranked 16th, but as of the second quarter of 2021, the results for which were released today, it comes in at 15th.
Take a look through the photo gallery above to see which countries claim the top 15 spots.
It isn't the only nation that moved up the ranks, but the report states the UAE is "the most remarkable turnaround story on the index by far".
The Henley Passport Index assesses the travel documents based on how many countries citizens can access without a visa, using information from the International Air Transport Association.
It does not take into account any temporary pandemic-related travel restrictions.
In 2011, the UAE was ranked 65th, with a visa-free and visa-on-arrival score of 67, but today it comes in 15th, with a score of 174, sharing the position with Romania, and just ahead of Bulgaria and Croatia, which have each moved up from 18th to 16th.
The index notes this "stellar ascendance" is "thanks to the Emirates' ongoing efforts to strengthen diplomatic ties with countries across the globe".
This was most recently seen in the signing of the historic Abraham Accords in September, which lead the country to broker a visa-free travel arrangement with Israel (22nd in the index), spurring other countries in the region to do the same.
China has also become one of the index's biggest climbers in its 16-year history, as it moved from 90th place in 2011, with a score of 40, to 68th position today, with a score of 77.
UAE only Arab nation in top 20
The UAE remains the only Arab nation in the top 20 of the index, with Kuwait and Qatar coming in next, at 55th and a score of 96.
Elsewhere in the Gulf, Bahrain ranks 64th, as its citizens can access 83 countries, with Oman just behind at 65th, with a score of 80, and Saudi Arabia at 66th and 79. These positions have remained the same since the last report came out in January.
Regionally, both Jordan and Egypt have moved up the global rankings. Today, both Arab nations share 90th place with Burundi and Angola, as nationals can travel to 51 spots without the need for a visa in advance. A few months ago, Jordan came in 92nd and Egypt was 93rd.
Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, Syria and Iraq are all among the bottom 10.
Japan and EU countries rank in top 10
Japan remains the world's most powerful passport in 2021, as Japanese nationals are able to access 193 destinations around the world visa-free.
Singapore is still in second place, just trailing behind Japan with a score of 192, while Germany and South Korea share third place, as passport holders of each nation can enter 191 locations.
The remaining top 10 spots are largely held by EU countries, including Italy, Spain, Finland and Luxembourg in fourth with access to 190 destinations, with Denmark and Austria coming in joint fifth, as nationals enjoy visa-free travel to 189 countries.
The UK and US share joint seventh place, with a score of 187, a marked decrease from 2014 when the nations held the top spot.
The gap in travel freedom is now at its largest since the index began in 2006, the report also notes, as Japanese passport holders can access 167 more countries than Afghanistan citizens, who can visit only 26 destinations without getting a visa in advance.
Global mobility in 2021
At the moment, much of this international travel freedom is theoretical, as Covid-19 restrictions remain ever-evolving across the world.
With the rollout of mass vaccination programmes, however, resumption of regular international travel is no longer an abstract hope, Henley & Partners's Global Mobility Report 2021 Q2, which was also released today, notes.
Passport power should never be taken for granted
It points to wealthy and advanced economies such as the EU, the UAE, UK and US as leading the charge.
"While nobody expects a return to pre-pandemic mobility levels anytime soon, the outlook now is certainly more hopeful than it was even a few months ago," says Dr Christian H Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners and founder of the index.
"The latest Henley Passport Index ranking is a reminder that economic recovery and development are dependent on global mobility, including personal travel freedom, and that passport power should never be taken for granted."
The 20 strongest passports in Q2 2021
1. Japan (193)
2. Singapore (192)
3. South Korea, Germany (191)
4. Italy, Finland, Spain, Luxembourg (190)
5. Denmark, Austria (189)
6. Sweden, France, Portugal, Netherlands, Ireland (188)
7. Switzerland, the US, the UK, Belgium, New Zealand (187)
8. Norway, Greece, Malta, Czech Republic (186)
9. Canada, Australia (185)
10. Slovakia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland (183)
11. Slovenia, Latvia, Iceland, Estonia (182)
12. Malaysia, Liechtenstein (179)
13. Cyprus (176)
14. Monaco, Chile (175)
15. The UAE, Romania (174)
16. Bulgaria, Croatia (173)
17. Brazil, Argentina, Hong Kong (171)
18. San Marino (169)
19. Andorra (168)
20. Brunei (166)
The 10 weakest passports in Q2 2021
100. Bangladesh, Lebanon, Sudan (41)
101. Kosovo, Libya (40)
102. North Korea (39)
103. Nepal (38)
104. Palestinian Territory (37)
105. Somalia (34)
106. Yemen (33)
107. Pakistan (32)
108. Syria (29)
109. Iraq (28)
110. Afghanistan (26)
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'HIJRAH%3A%20IN%20THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20PROPHET'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEdited%20by%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Idries%20Trevathan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPages%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20240%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hirmer%20Publishers%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EAvailable%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Naga
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EMeshal%20Al%20Jaser%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EAdwa%20Bader%2C%20Yazeed%20Almajyul%2C%20Khalid%20Bin%20Shaddad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
FIXTURES
Saturday
5.30pm: Shabab Al Ahli v Al Wahda
5.30pm: Khorfakkan v Baniyas
8.15pm: Hatta v Ajman
8.15pm: Sharjah v Al Ain
Sunday
5.30pm: Kalba v Al Jazira
5.30pm: Fujairah v Al Dhafra
8.15pm: Al Nasr v Al Wasl
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
ASIAN%20RUGBY%20CHAMPIONSHIP%202024
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EResults%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EHong%20Kong%2052-5%20UAE%3Cbr%3ESouth%20Korea%2055-5%20Malaysia%3Cbr%3EMalaysia%206-70%20Hong%20Kong%3Cbr%3EUAE%2036-32%20South%20Korea%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFixtures%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EFriday%2C%20June%2021%2C%207.30pm%20kick-off%3A%20UAE%20v%20Malaysia%3Cbr%3EAt%20The%20Sevens%2C%20Dubai%20(admission%20is%20free).%3Cbr%3ESaturday%3A%20Hong%20Kong%20v%20South%20Korea%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
History's medical milestones
1799 - First small pox vaccine administered
1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery
1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases
1895 - Discovery of x-rays
1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time
1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin
1953 - Structure of DNA discovered
1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place
1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill
1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.
1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out
Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
Story%20behind%20the%20UAE%20flag
%3Cp%3EThe%20UAE%20flag%20was%20first%20unveiled%20on%20December%202%2C%201971%2C%20the%20day%20the%20UAE%20was%20formed.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIt%20was%20designed%20by%20Abdullah%20Mohammed%20Al%20Maainah%2C%2019%2C%20an%20Emirati%20from%20Abu%20Dhabi.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EMr%20Al%20Maainah%20said%20in%20an%20interview%20with%20%3Cem%3EThe%20National%3C%2Fem%3E%20in%202011%20he%20chose%20the%20colours%20for%20local%20reasons.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20black%20represents%20the%20oil%20riches%20that%20transformed%20the%20UAE%2C%20green%20stands%20for%20fertility%20and%20the%20red%20and%20white%20colours%20were%20drawn%20from%20those%20found%20in%20existing%20emirate%20flags.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
