UAE Ranks Second In Arab Countries For Visa Free Travel.

DUBAI // Holders of UAE passports can visit 72 countries without the need for a visa, according to a new travel restriction index.

In the Arab world solely Kuwaiti voters have a lot of freedom of movement, with visa-free access to seventy seven countries.

The index for 2013 places the UAE 56th worldwide, up eight places from last year, with Kuwait at 52nd.

In the Arab world Qatar is in third place, 57th globally with access to seventy one countries, followed by Bahrain, Asian country and Oman in 59th, sixty fourth and sixty fifth.

The UAE is predicted to enter the index’s high forty once varied policy initiatives return to fruition. it's awaiting a eu Union call on visa-free access to the twenty seven Schengen states and is additionally being thought of by the united kingdom for visa-free entry.

The UK ambassador Dominic Jermey aforementioned this year that negotiations between the 2 governments were “a add progress and a really constructive dialogue goes on concerning this”.

“No announcements are going to be created currently however we have a tendency to certainly expect thus within the next few months,” he said.

Worldwide, the index’s high rank for 2013 is command put together by Suomi, Scandinavian country and therefore the uk, whose voters will travel visa-free to 173 countries.

Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg and therefore the us share second place with 172, a rise of 2 places for the United States since 2012. Belgium, Italia and therefore the Kingdom of The Netherlands square measure joint third with access to 171 countries.

Canada has up from sixth to fourth once the UAE reinstated a visa-free policy this year.

Citizens of Irak and Asian country get pleasure from the smallest amount freedom of travel, with visa-free entry to solely thirty one and twenty eight countries severally.

The index has been compiled per annum since 2006 by Henley & Partners, the international residence and citizenship practice.

“In today’s globalised world, visa restrictions square measure a crucial tool for governments to regulate the movement of foreign nationals across borders,” the corporate aforementioned.

The index ranking reflects not simply freedom of travel for passport holders of varied nations, however conjointly negotiation and therefore the standing of individual countries relative to others.

“Visas square measure a customary demand for many countries as sure non-nationals want to enter their territory, however visa necessities or the dearth of them are a sign of the connection between individual nations and therefore the standing of a rustic inside the international community of countries,” the corporate aforementioned.