Which country has world's most powerful passport? New rankings reveal the winner

DUBAI - The passport is considered one of the factors which determines a country's standing in the international arena and a list containing world's most powerful passports has been revealed.

According to the ranking, the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) passport has been declared as the most powerful in the world with a score of 110.50.

The rankings announced by offshore consulting firm, Nomad Capitalist confirm that UAE has entered the top ten for the first time this year. The most interesting aspect is that UAE jumped from 35th spot last year to number 1 this year in what appears to be a dramatic rise. United Arab Emirates passport holders can enter a total of 181 destinations — either without a visa, through a visa on arrival, or via an eTA (electronic travel authorization).

"This is largely due to recent changes allowing foreigners to apply for dual citizenship, which, combined with the travel freedoms afforded by a UAE passport, plus the country’s business-friendly environment and enviable tax system, puts the UAE top of our list for 2023," the report said.

Meanwhile, Jovana Vojinovic, Nomad Capitalist’s director of operations and sales, branded the UAE passport the “winner of the decade".

"The UAE added 106 new visa-free countries in the last decade, which is an amazing number,” she told CNBC and cited influx of rich and famous people to the country as a reason. The liberal policy of the emirate also helped it clinch the top spot. 

The second spot was taken by Luxembourg and Switzerland’s passports followed by Ireland and Portugal, which secured fourth place on the ranking. The rest of the countries in order are Germany, Czech Republic, New Zealand, Sweden and Finland.