UAE gets 100-day national plan for happiness

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE vice president, prime minister and ruler of Dubai, has approved a 100-day ‘national plan for happiness’.

The plan was unveiled in a series of statements on Twitter and followed a meeting with Ohood Al Roumi, the newly-appointed minister of state for happiness. According to UAE daily newspaper The National, Sheikh Mohammed said: ““Today we adopted the National Programme for Happiness and Positivity. Our ultimate goal as a government is for happiness as a way of life.”

“The programme includes initiatives across three areas –– happiness in government policies programmes and services, promotion of positivity and happiness as a lifestyle and development of benchmarks and ways to measure happiness.”

Travel, leisure and tourism activities are likely to be elements to be considered as part of the initiative. “

“All government policies, programmes and services must help instill happiness and positivity in society – the role of government is to create the suitable environment for individuals, families, employees to be happy and positive,”” said Sheikh Mohammed. “

“All our ministries and public entities must be [a] beacon of happiness in their policies, programmes, services and environment.” Under the programme, public service centres are to become ‘public happiness centres’ with dedicated employees to ensure client happiness. The plan includes a measurement method for happiness and positivity, including scientific and cultural publications.

Al Roumi, who was appointed minister of state for happiness earlier this year, said happiness would not just be a hope for the UAE. ““There will be plans, projects, programmes and indicators,”” he said. ““It will be a part of the work of all our ministries and part of our lifestyle.””