Islam Zween, Argaam CEO
When we weigh our travel options for a summer holiday, many of us don't choose the tourist destinations – quite the opposite. The tourist destinationsactually choose us. Or they would rather attract the traveller because of a hassle-free experience.
It welcomes you thanks to your passport without the trouble of waiting a long time for a visa and after booking airline tickets and hotels as proof. Not to mention submitting endless paperwork to embassies or consulates. So you go.
Today, when Saudis apply online for a UK visa so easily, or a Schengen EU visa for five consecutive years, as well as visa-free entry to a country like Malaysia, we feel like we are the ones making the decision, not the other way round. We are in control of our own decisions.
Some factors have undoubtedly played a major role in the past few years in improving the global ranking of the Saudi passport, chiefly the business climate which’s today as inviting as the spring time in the breath-taking city of Abha in southwest Saudi Arabia.
Hosting sports mega events, the opening of headquarters of major corporations in the capital Riyadh, expanding the global investment portfolio and the painstaking diplomatic efforts for a stable Middle East are part of the tangible and intangible steps taken by the kingdom.
Smart diplomacy and politics – which have helped build bridges with regional and global powers, also contributed to strengthening the Kingdom's position in the Henley & Partners Index and the Passport Index, which rely on data from the International Air Transport Association and governments around the world, respectively.
Today, the Saudi passport ranks the 56th globally, enabling Saudi citizens to enter 88 countries without a visa, or to get a visaonarrival, or an e-visa. As for the Passport Index, the number rises to 103 countries, which means a Saudi citizen can travel to 52 countries without a visa, 44 countries with a visa on arrival, and 7 countries with an e-visa.
But there are up to 95 countries that require a visa in advance still, including 15 countries in Africa, and 14 countries in North and South America. The 29 EU countries still require a visa (Schengen visa)but it’s decided in April to grant it to Saudi citizens for five years. Add to that, countries like China, Australia and Japan, which attract a large number of visitors every year, as well as a host of Asian countries such as Mongolia, North Korea, Papua New Guinea (adjacent to Indonesia), Myanmar, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. For more information on the Schengen Area and its member countries, check out this detailed resource: Schengen.News
So the goal is not the quantity, but the quality and priority, which is what the vast majority of Saudi travellers need. The passport, for example, may allow easy access to some countries in South America where there are no direct flights, and therefore it might take me up to 24 hours until I reach one of them given the time difference and the time needed in transit either at an airport or in a hotel nearby. Countries in Central Africa are not on the vacation list for many of us as well.
In addition to the five-year Schengen visa, we as Saudi citizens can also obtain a 10-year United States visa through consulates and embassies, which opens travel to at least 13 countries in Latin and Central America. An expired visa can further be renewed via emailand granted within around six weeks. Saudis can also reapply for a Schengen visa online without the need to re-enter their biometrics again.
Managing passport ranking to reach advanced levels is like a well-managed brand, which opens up more opportunities. Let's take the example of Singapore, which today has the strongest passport in the world. Since its independence in 1965, Singapore has promoted itself as a developing, industrialized, advanced and vibrant country for investors. Today, it enjoys a global reputation and has become a major global business hub, despite the fact that it has no natural resources, but rather relies heavily on good publicity and marketing to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
Sound diplomatic strategies and pragmatism based on flexibility in relation to complex regional and global geopolitics play a big role in strengthening or weakening a country's passport, which is taken into account in the annual global passport ranking. The Russian passport, for example, dropped four places last year to become the 54th globallydue to the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine.
On the contrary, South Korea’s passport is the world’s third today thanks mainly to its open innovation strategies and sound geopolitics. The country was able to reach an agreement with European Union countries for visa-free entry for its citizens starting next year through an online visa that can be granted in a few minutes. South Koreans are also entitled to stay in many EU countries including the Big Three -- Germany, France and Spain -- for up to 90 days under bilateral diplomatic agreements.South Korea furthermore has an agreement with the US to include its citizens in the Visa Waiver Programme, allowing them to travel to the US for tourism or business for 90 days or less without a visa.
Saudi Arabia’s economic and geopolitical policies in recent years are the locomotive of economic growth undoubtedly. But there’s one particular policy of resilience that transcends national borders and focuses on the kingdom’s image holistically in the international arena.
The Saudi passport advances in the global rankings year after year. But never underestimate the importance of patience. It pays off.
Islam Zween, Argaam CEO
