UAE passport now among world top 10

A bilateral visa waiver agreement between the UAE and Russia earlier this week has seen the Emirati passport become the 10th most powerful in the world.

The agreement with Russia has taken UAE's visa-free score to 155, while Russia has a visa-free score of 115, according to the Arton Capital Passport Index.

On top of the list is Singapore, with a visa-free score of 166, while Germany is placed second with a score of 164. The third slot is shared by as many as 12 countries, including US, South Korea, Italy and France. UAE shares its 10th spot with Cyprus.

Russia did not see a change in its visa-free score from the latest agreement, as the UAE had already put in place visa-on-arrival for Russian passport holders.

Over 750,000 Russians visited the UAE last year, contributing a total of $2.3 billion to the UAE economy.

UAE passport soars through the rankings

In 2017, the UAE announced an ambition to position the country's passport on the list of the five most powerful passports in the world by 2021. At the time of the announcement, the UAE passport held a visa-free score of 132.