The U.S. passport stalls at 10th while the UAE jumps to second in the global rankings, Emirates president Tim Clark says retirement can wait, and Expedia opens a Silicon Valley office to find the engineers who are exponentially more productive with AI.

On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down what the UAE's historic passport rise reveals about how deliberate diplomatic strategy translates into real travel advantages, why Tim Clark is still running Emirates at 76 and showing no signs of slowing down, and why Expedia's AI bet is really a people bet.

Articles Referenced: Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IG
The U.S. Passport Is Stuck. The UAE's Is Gaining Fast.
Emirates' Sir Tim Clark on Retirement: It's Not Time
Expedia CTO Ramana Thumu on AI Talent Strategy

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