Muscat – In 2023, Oman was ranked 65th, with its citizens able to travel visa-free to 82 countries. This number has now increased to 86 destinations, reflecting an improvement in global mobility for Omani passport holders.

The Henley Passport Index, based on official data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), ranks the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. This edition highlights a widening gap in global mobility, with Singapore reclaiming the top spot for offering its citizens visa-free access to a record-breaking 195 destinations.

The UAE has made history in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, breaking into the top ten for the first time. The UAE’s passport holders can now access 185 destinations visa-free, a remarkable rise from 62nd place in 2006. Dr. Juerg Steffen, CEO of Henley & Partners, attributed this rapid ascent to the Emirati government’s efforts to establish the UAE as a global hub for business, tourism, and investment.
“Our research has consistently shown a strong correlation between a country’s visa-free score and its economic prosperity. Nations with higher visa-free scores tend to enjoy greater GDP per capita, increased foreign direct investment, and more robust international trade relationships,” he noted.
Within the GCC, the UAE is followed by Qatar, ranked 46th with visa-free access to 107 countries, Kuwait (49th and 99 destinations), Saudi Arabia (56th and 88 destinations), and Bahrain (57th and 87 destinations).

Globally, Singapore has reclaimed its position as the world’s most powerful passport, offering visa-free access to 195 destinations. This achievement sets a new record, surpassing the six countries that previously shared the top spot at the beginning of the year.

France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Spain have dropped to joint-second place, each with visa-free access to 192 destinations. An unprecedented seven-nation cohort, comprising Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, South Korea, and Sweden, now sits in third place with access to 191 destinations.

The UK maintains its fourth-place ranking, sharing the position with Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand, Norway, and Switzerland, despite its visa-free destination score falling to 190. The US continues its decade-long decline in the index, dropping to eighth place with visa-free access to 186 destinations.
Afghanistan remains the lowest-ranked passport, with its citizens having visa-free access to only 26 countries, the lowest score ever recorded in the 19-year history of the index.

An exclusive research by global data intelligence firm New World Wealth, featured in the Henley Global Mobility Report 2024, highlights the 20 fastest growing cities in the world for millionaires. It lists Shenzhen and Hangzhou in China, with millionaire growth rates of 140 percent and 125 percent, respectively, as two of the most important places to be able to access visa-free over the coming decades.

It also lists Bengaluru in India, which saw 110 percent growth in millionaires between 2013 and 2023, Austin and Scottsdale in the US, Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and Sharjah in the UAE.