Dubai: The Ministry of Community Development has launched the second edition of the “National Wellbeing Survey 2022”. The initiative was launched on International Day of Happiness celebrated in the UAE today.
Hessa Bint Essa Buhumaid, Minister of Community Development, launched the survey at the Latvia Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai.
The latest survey is part of the national wellbeing monitoring initiatives implemented by the National Programme for Happiness and Wellbeing in the Ministry of Community Development. The event is hosted in collaboration with the Federal Competitiveness & Statistics Authority every two years to measure the wellbeing of community members in the UAE.
The survey included 122 questions divided into three categories: Advanced country, connected society and individuals’ wellbeing. It targeted all community members aged 15 years and above to measure their wellbeing in seven sectors: Society, health, education, economy, security, justice, safety, infrastructure, housing, environment and human resources.
The International Day of Happiness began right from the start when the Sustainability Gate at Expo 2020 was opened by Buhumaid, Hessa spoke about the value of happiness and the concept of wellbeing. “Happiness is when we have the keys to wellbeing morally and mentally. when our lives are of family, community and national value and a government works for excellence,” she said.
Hessa highlighted some of the happiness and wellbeing indicators in the UAE, including the UAE having the most powerful passport, UAE being the safest country for people to walk at night and UAE topping when it comes to people’s confidence in its government. “Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and its repercussions, we as a nation strived for our citizens and residents to be happy,” she said.
“Thanks to the vision of our leadership, the UAE was ranked high in the latest happiness survey,” she added.
She said wellbeing reflects societies and creates a beautiful reality and future filled with hope and optimism towards sustainable happier and more giving societies. “Wellbeing means happiness, satisfaction, success, excellence, many indicators and objectives that we always strive to embody and achieve, for us, our children and our families, for our generations and for the nation’s people without border.”
The Ministry of Community Development’s celebrations included various sessions and events.
What happiness means to these people
Gulf News spoke to a few people attending the event to find out what hppiness meant to them. Their responses:
Amal Alblooshi, Government Programme Manager at the Ministry of Community Development: “Happiness comes from within. If you are self-satisfied, if you are happy about yourself, self-motivated and you’re mental health is good. Then you will feel happy.”
Shamsa Albedwawi, Emirati law student at UAE University in Al Ain: “Happiness is about having a goal and going about realising it. When you are involved in things that make you happy, you are happy.”
Australian expat Stephanie Gleeson, Project Manager, AGB-Tiller: “Happiness is simply being around family. Music does wonders to me as well. It makes me happy and of course when I travel, I feel really good.”
