Uae’s top Ranking not Surprising but deserving, say Emiratis

The fact that the UAE achieved 20th rank out of 156 countries surveyed “isn’t really strange, it’s actually expected,” said UAE national Abdullah Al Bastaki. The Dubaibased engineer said the ranking is thanks to the leaders’ day and night plans to motivate and help build a caring and positive environment to induce happiness in the population, locals and expats. “Not a lot of leaders can do that in such a short period of time of 45 years! It induces a sense of love and respect in the population, which brings about the feelings of commitment and happiness one feels towards the UAE.” Launching several initiatives across the country, the UAE has set a goal to be among the top five happiest countries in the world under its Vision 2021 objectives. Reem Al Marzouqi, Abu Dhabibased UAE inventor, said the country’s guidance to Emiratis in applying for jobs, especially after the increased Emiratisation move, easy life and developed facilities are the main factors of people’s happiness. Safety, she said, is an indispensable factor. “People here feel very safe. If you are financially supported in a safe place with leadership that’s very close to public then how will you not be happy?” Emirati Ahmed bin Al Sheikh from Sharjah, said: “I love that we live with so many nationalities that the country embraces with full respect and no discrimination. Our leadership taught us so many lessons in respect, tolerance and ambition,” said Al Sheikh. The UAE has been known to be the first country in the world to appoint a happiness minister early 2016. The ministry led by Ohoud bint Khalfan Al Roumi has been working to implement the happiness indexes across the country, and has launched several initiatives including the National Programme for Happiness and Positivity, happiness ambassadors, happiness counters in government entities and happiness indexes to facilitate and make people happy.