Dubai: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has approved the results of the Smart Happiness index, with government services in Dubai attaining a score of 89 per cent on the index.
“Customer satisfaction is no longer the government’s goal but the wellbeing and happiness of citizens and expatriate residents is our target,” Shaikh Mohammad said at a meeting on Saturday.
Government services in Dubai garnered 89 per cent on the happiness index following a vote involving more than two million customers of 38 government entities during the past nine months.
Shaikh Mohammad honoured the government entities that fared best in terms of keeping customers happy, with the Dubai Customs Department being named the best government entity in achieving the happiness of its customers.
Shaikh Mohammad also honoured the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) for getting the highest number of customers to participate in the vote.
The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) was also honoured for being the first government entity to embrace the happiness index.
Other entities that were honoured include the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, which put in place the most comprehensive programme for the happiness index.
Shaikh Mohammad launched the Smart Happiness Index last year to ensure the wellbeing and happiness of customers subscribing to government services — both citizens and expatriates.
“The happiness of customers should also be the target of the private sector and all community entities. Our national agendas at all sectors are driven by the wellbeing and happiness of our citizens and expatriates,” Shaikh Mohammad said.
The list of happiness pioneers also included Dubai Courts, which registered the highest percentage of use of the happiness index in digital transaction points, and Dubai Police as the first government entity that activated the index on smartphone applications, while Dubai Municipality was honoured for being the fastest to implement the happiness index.
The happiness meter measures the impressions and satisfaction of the public with services rendered to them through 328 outlets in 38 government bodies. According to the happiness index, 10am on Tuesdays is the happiest hour for the public in Dubai.
Shaikh Mohammad also approved the Dubai Happiness Agenda, which includes 16 main programmes falling within four themes and involves 82 projects to be implemented in Dubai.
Dubai Culture has been recognised as the first partner of Dubai Happiness Agenda.
The Vice-President approved the results of the happiness index during a meeting with a number of local government department heads in Dubai in the presence of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Shaikh Maktoum Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, and Shaikh Ahmad Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation.
Also present were Shaikha Latifa Bint Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-Chairperson of Dubai Culture, and Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future and Chairman of Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Executive Office, as well as other Shaikhs and senior officials.
