Islamabad: For the fourth consecutive year, the Pakistani passport has maintained its position as the fourth worst globally, according to the latest Henley Passport Index, Dawn reported.

This index ranks the travel documents of 199 countries based on the number of destinations their holders can access without prior visa requirements.

In the most recent ranking released on Tuesday, Pakistan's passport shares the 100th spot with Yemen, offering visa-free access to 33 countries. This places it higher only than Iraq (101), Syria (102), and Afghanistan (103), a ranking unchanged from the previous year.

"Afghanistan remains firmly entrenched as the world's weakest passport, losing access to yet another destination over the past six months, leaving its citizens with access to only 26 countries visa-free -- the lowest score ever recorded in history of the 19-year-old index," a press release said.

Singapore once again secured the top spot, with its passport granting visa-free access to 195 destinations, setting a new record. Following closely tied in second place were Germany, Italy, Japan, France, and Spain, each providing access to 192 countries.

Ranked third were Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, South Korea, and Sweden, offering visa-free access to 191 destinations, as reported by Dawn.

The United Kingdom shared the fourth position with Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand, Norway, and Switzerland, enabling travel to 190 states. The United States occupied the eighth rank with access to 186 destinations.

A notable addition to the top 10 was the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marking its debut in this category. The UAE achieved a significant rise, now offering visa-free access to 185 destinations, an increase of 152 since the index began in 2006. This ascent also catapulted the UAE 53 places in the rankings, from 62nd to 9th position.

The press release quoted Henley & Partners CEO Juerg Steffen as saying that the UAE's "meteoric ascent" was the result of "deliberate and concerted efforts by the Emirati government to position 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," the release added, Dawn reported.

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