Kuwaiti passport ranks 3rd in Gulf & Arab region, 57th globally

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KUWAIT CITY, Jan 11: The Kuwaiti passport ranked third in the Gulf countries and the Arab region and 57th globally, on the “Henley & Partners” index of the most powerful passports in the world for 2023, reports Al-Qabas daily. Kuwaiti citizens can visit 97 destinations around the world without the need to obtain a prior visa. Henley & Partners expects that the Kuwaiti and Qatari passports will advance in the passport index in the near future, given the expectation that the two countries will sign a visa exemption agreement with the European Union this year. Once signed, the agreement will grant visa-free access to 27 EU member states for passport holders of both countries.

The UAE passport ranked first in the Gulf and 15th in the world, with the ability of Emirati passport holders to enter 178 destinations without a visa, after which Qatar ranked second in the Gulf and 55th in the world and allows Qataris to enter 100 countries without a visa. In the fourth place came the Bahraini passport (63rd globally), then Oman and Saudi Arabia, which shared fifth place in the Gulf and 65th globally. While Asia and Europe still dominate, the Henley Index points to the growing passport strength of the Gulf countries as a major trend in the coming year, with the UAE climbing an astonishing 49 places in the past decade to 15th place with 178 points and reaching nearly 70% of the world’s GDP.

The Japanese passport ranked first for the fifth year in a row, as Japanese citizens can now visit 193 of 227 destinations without the need for a visa. Singapore and South Korea ranked second, with 192 destinations. In Europe, Germany and Spain share the third position with visa-free travel to 190 countries. The United Kingdom ranked sixth with 187 and the United States seventh with 186.

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