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Leila Al-Khatib

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PUBLISHED BY ICN PRESS

Etihad Airways has unveiled Etihad Escapes, a new travel platform designed to extend the Etihad experience beyond the flight and make it easier for guests to plan and book more of their journey in one place.

Announced at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2026 in Dubai, Etihad Escapes will launch in October, initially allowing guests with an Etihad flight booking to add hotel accommodation directly through etihad.com.

The platform is the first step towards a broader integrated travel offering that Etihad plans to develop through 2027, bringing together flights, hotels and additional travel services within a single digital experience, with further integration into the Etihad app and Etihad Guest.

Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, said, “Our guests already choose Etihad to take them to some of the world’s most exciting destinations. With Etihad Escapes, we want to make the rest of their journey just as easy.”

He added that the platform aims to build a deeper relationship with guests beyond the flight, eventually bringing together flights, hotels, Etihad Guest and other travel experiences in one place to provide a simpler and more personalised journey.

Neves said Etihad Escapes also creates a new growth opportunity for Etihad and Abu Dhabi by connecting the airline’s network with a wider travel offering and some of the emirate’s leading visitor experiences.

He added that the platform can help attract more visitors to Abu Dhabi, encourage them to explore more of the emirate and support its ambition to welcome 39.3 million visitors and raise tourism’s contribution to GDP to AED90 billion by 2030.

At launch, Etihad Escapes will allow guests to add a hotel after booking their flight, giving them access to accommodation through etihad.com without needing to plan different elements of their journey across multiple platforms.

The platform will gradually expand to allow customers to search and book hotels independently and later combine flights and hotel accommodation within an integrated booking experience.

Future phases will extend Etihad Escapes to the Etihad app and introduce greater personalisation, enhanced Etihad Guest integration and a wider range of travel experiences and additional services.

Etihad Escapes targets a significant commercial opportunity in the global holiday market, valued at approximately US$2.7 trillion and forecast to grow by 6.5 percent through 2030, with a substantial share of travel spending taking place beyond the cost of the flight.

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UAE passport ranks first globally
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Passport Reports says the UAE passport ranks first globally in 2026, recording a Mobility Score of 182 and worldwide access of 91.9 percent. Holders can reach that many destinations through visa-free entry, visa on arrival, other simplified entry arrangements, or an eTA. This particular measure places the document among those commonly called the world’s most powerful passport. That UAE passport ranking 2026 update also breaks down access by region, tier, and reciprocity, across all 199 tracked destinations.

UAE passport mobility score breaks into three tiers. Visa-free access covers 128 destinations. UAE passport visa-on-arrival access applies to 44 more. An eTA opens the remaining 10.

Sixteen destinations still require a visa arranged in advance. Those include Afghanistan, the United States, Australia, Belize, Bhutan, Algeria, Eritrea, Cameroon, North Korea, Lesotho, Libya, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Somalia, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. Several of them still offer an electronic-visa option. Australia provides a fast-track eVisa. Bhutan, Cameroon, Libya, Nicaragua, Somalia and Venezuela also list eVisa access, though each stays classified as visa-required.

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UAE passport ranks first globally across Europe, Gulf and Middle East

UAE passport ranks first globally in Europe, where access reaches 100 percent overall. Visa-free entry accounts for 97.9 percent of the region, spanning 46 destinations, with the remainder reached through the eTA category.

Gulf access also reaches 100 percent. UAE passport holders travel visa-free to Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Oman, the five other GCC states.

Middle East access also reaches 100 percent overall. Visa-free entry makes up 75 percent of that region. Visa on arrival or simplified entry adds 18.8 percent, and an eTA covers the final 6.3 percent. No Middle Eastern destination sits in the visa-required column.

Access outside these three regions varies by geography. Caribbean access stands at 93.8 percent. Oceania reaches 92.9 percent, South America 91.7 percent, Asia 89.8 percent, Africa 88.9 percent, North America 87 percent, and Central Asia 80 percent.

UAE passport visa-free countries and wider rankings

Per Passport Reports, the UAE passport ranks first globally among 50 Asian countries, 17 Middle Eastern countries, and six Gulf countries. It also leads among 24 Arabic-official-language countries, 159 World Trade Organization members, 57 Organisation of Islamic Cooperation countries, 22 Arab League countries, 11 BRICS countries and 132 G77 countries.

Per the same report, UAE passport visa-free countries do not all share the same entry process. Dominica, El Salvador and Armenia allow visa-free stays of up to 180 days. United Kingdom and Canada eTA entries carry the same allowance. Additional steps apply elsewhere. Dominican Republic entry calls for an e-ticket ahead of a 30-day stay. Malaysia requires an arrival card for 90 days. Suriname uses a tourist card, also for 90 days. Seychelles calls for tourist registration, and Côte d’Ivoire for pre-registration, both covering 90-day stays.

UAE ranks 91st for inbound travel

UAE passport ranks first globally for outbound travel, but inbound access works differently. Passport Reports also measures how easily foreign nationals can enter the UAE, a separate welcoming-country ranking. On that scale, the UAE places 91st out of 199, a figure distinct from its own passport’s Mobility Score and not to be confused with it.

Two reciprocity gaps stand out in the data. United States and Australian passport holders can enter the UAE visa-free, electronically, or on arrival, while UAE passport holders need a visa to enter either country. A longer list runs the other way. India, Pakistan, Kenya, Thailand, Türkiye, and South Africa all require their own citizens to secure a visa for the UAE, even as UAE passport holders receive visa-free, electronic, on-arrival, or otherwise simplified entry to each of those destinations.

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