The UAE passport now gives holders the right to enter 171 countries and territories without a visa, making it the fastest riser on a global list of travel freedom, the Henley Passport Index.
Japan remains the most useful passport in the world, allowing its citizens visa-free travel to 191 countries, a survey of data from the International Air Transport Association shows.
Bottom of the list is Afghanistan, which allows holders to travel visa-free to only 26 destinations.
The figures highlight the rise of visa-free travel with global citizens on average able to travel to 58 destinations in 2006, compared with 107 now.
The list was published on Tuesday as countries faced travel restrictions because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“With 3.5 billion people, nearly half the global population, presently living in voluntary or mandatory confinement, the latest results from the index raise challenging questions about what travel freedom and global mobility really mean,” said Philippe Amarante, of consultants Henley and Partners, which compiled the list.
In December 2018, the UAE passport was listed as the world's strongest by the Passport Index, which is compiled by global citizenship financial advisory Arton Capital.