UAE Marking the strongest passport in the Arabian and Islamic World, is ranked globally with a visa-free or visa-on-back access to 184 destinations.Queue Grows to 47th, inspired by its entry into AmericaVisa Waiver Program The first for any Arab nation, with access to 112 destinations.- Saudi Arabia reaches 54th, gaining visa-free access to China, UK and Türkiye, a total of 91 destinations.
- Kuwait is ranked 50th with access to 100 destinations, but looks limited dynamics increase in 2025.
- Bahrain and Oman are ranked 55th and 56th respectively with access to 90 and 88 destinations respectively, which show year-to-year improvement.
- All six GCC countries had a visa-free access to China in June 2025, increasing the strength of regional passports.
bay Passport Power: UAE Source, breaks through Qatar, Saudi Stability
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has rapidly converted the power of passport into a tool of soft power and diplomacy. The July 2025 Henley Passport Index ranks the UAE passport on the 8th globally, with a visa-free or visa-on-back access to 184 countries, a historic growth from just 35 countries a decade ago, it is placed close to traditional leaders such as Singapore and Japan and marks unbearable progress for the Middle East.Other GCC states, such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia, have also promoted global mobility, which deliberately indicate investment in bilateral visa deals and citizenship reforms, Historically restricted by political and security issues, GCC passport now symbolizes national ambition and diplomatic flexibility, which is aligned with dynamics and widespread global trends towards interconnected economies. The growth of the region in passport power underlines the diplomatic clot and international ambition of the GCC.
UAE: Arab world passport powerhouse
The Gulf is standing at the top of the passport rankings of the United Arab Emirates, which is now at 8th position globally. Emirati citizens enjoy visa-free or visa-on-recession in 184 countries, crossing the major passports of the US and Canada. The UAE’s meteorite growth, ranked 8th from 42nd to 2025 in 2015, mark the biggest jump in the history of the Henley Passport Index.This notable progress is run by an ambitious foreign policy focused on visa-marital agreements with regions including the European Union, China, Russia and Latin America. The UAE is the only Middle Eastern country in Global Top 10, with established leaders such as Canada, Estonia and many European Union countries. Its passport is now the strongest in both the Arab world and the broad Islamic world,
Qatar: Strategic success with United States
Qatar’s passport has seen a significant jump in the latest global rankings, which ranks about 47th. Major catalysts behind this bounce? A historical agreement that makes Qatar the first Arab country which is included in the US Visa discount program, which is effective since December 2024. The agreement provides a visa-free entry of Katri citizens to stay in the United States for up to 90 days, which keeps Qatar in a particular league of reliable international partners. It moves forward to complement the growing diplomatic influence of Qatar, marked by its role in hosting international arbitration, global summit and expanding relations with Latin America and Asia countries. As a result, Qatar now uses a visa-free or visa-on-recurrence for 108 to 112 destinations in January 2024. This reform has helped the country to increase six spots in the rankings, from 53rd to 47th position globally. In recent years, Qatar’s passport is ranked 54th, 60th, 53rd and 55th in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 respectively. Now, it stood second among the GCC countries, with the UAE maintaining the top position.
Saudi Arabia: calm progress with major new access
Saudi Arabia Passport has continued its gradual upstream trend, now at 54th position on the Henley Passport Index, with access to 91 destinations without any pre -visa requirement. A major success this year was in June 2025, when China provided a visa-free entry to Saudi citizens, followed by similar agreements with Türkiye and the United Kingdom. While Saudi Arabia has not progressed rapidly as the United Arab Emirates or Qatar, its stable approach is showing results, adding domestic reforms with active international engagement. The expansion of electronic visa systems and growing tourism sector has further enhanced the global status of the state. This year alone, Saudi Arabia added four new visa-free sites. Agreement with China, in particular, is an important step in strengthening passport access and impact.
Kuwait: Stable, but not sharp
By 2025, Kuwait’s passport ranks globally 50th, according to the latest Henley & Partners Report, provides visa-free or visa-on-back to approximately 100 destinations. While Kuwaiti’s Citizen Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) enjoys a complete visa-free movement within, global mobility growth has been modest compared to regional leaders. Kuwait’s slow progress is partly due to lack of major new bilateral visa agreements in the last year. Schengen is pending its application for visa-free access, limiting further expansion. In contrast, countries like UAE are at 8th position with access to 184 destinations, and Qatar has upgraded rapidly through active visa diplomacy. This exposes Kuwait’s stable but cautious approach to increase the strength of the passport, resulting in a relative interval behind its more active GCC peers.
Oman and Bahrain: minor mobility, regional power
According to the Henley Passport Index for July 2025, the rear among the GCC nations is ranked 56th and 55th respectively, respectively. Bahrain passport holders now enjoy visa-free or visa-on-arit access for 90 destinations, while Omani citizens can be more than 86 to 86 in 2024.Both countries have continued to benefit from strong regional integration through the GCC structure, although their global dynamics are more limited than major regional companions. Oman’s Sultanate, in particular, continue its upward trend in the international travel rankings, increased from 65th to 2024 in 2023 to 60th and now 56th in 2025. Bahrain has also progressed, climbing four positions from 59th to 55th in 2024, reflects stable improvements in global use.In particular, both Oman and Bahrain were incorporated into China’s broad visa-free expansion in June 2025, with many of their Gulf neighbors, contributed to their gradual improvement in global mobility.
China’s diplomatic game: Visa-free for all six GCC states
In an important diplomatic and economic development, China increased visa-free access to all six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman in June 2025. This decision increases its geopolitical and economic forms to increase the widespread push of Beijing.First, only UAE and Qatar citizens enjoyed visa-free entry into China. As of June 9, 2025, China has included Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain in this extended policy, offering a visa-free entry up to 30 days for objectives including business, tourism, family tour and cultural exchange.The initiative is part of a one-year testing program lasting from June 9, 2025 to June 8, 2026, and is expected to greatly promote tourism, investment flows, technical participation and people’s exchange between China and Gulf region. It also deploys China as a major destination for GCC passengers and strengthens its strategic engagement in the Middle East.
Intra-Gulf Mobility: A Regional Power
All six GCC countries allow free movement of citizens on their borders according to the existing Gulf Cooperation Council Protocol. This intra-regional mobility is unaffected by the global rankings and provides a strong base of movement for the Gulf citizens, regardless of their international passport power.
FAQ: Gulf Passport and Henley Index (2025)
Q. What is a henle passport index? Passport rank by number of accessible destinations without pre -visa; Update quarterly using IATA data.Q. Why is the UAE ranked more than the US or the UK? The UAE signed 50+ visa deals, providing access to 184 destinations, more than the US or the UK.Q. What is US Visa discount program, and why is Qatar inclusion important? Qatar is the first Arab country of the program, which enables visa-free American entry and enhances global rank.Q. Now which countries provide visa-free access to all GCC countries? China, Türkiye and Malaysia now allow visa-free entry to all GCC citizens, reflecting the growing global trust.Q. Is GCC mobility affected by Henley rankings? No. The GCC citizens enjoy free movement within the states, regardless of their global passport rankings.Q. Is Saudi Arabia and Kuwait expected to move forward? Yes. Saudi reform and Kuwait’s Schengen talks may further increase the power of passport in the coming years.Q. Which Gulf Passports remain the weakest in global mobility? Oman (56th) and Bahrain (55th) rank the lowest in GCC but continue to improve gradual improvements.
