UAE a beacon of enhanced wellbeing and happiness

Staff Reporter, Gulf Today

Coinciding with the International Day of Happiness,  Hessa Bint Essa Buhumaid, Minister of Community Development, launched the second edition of the “National Wellbeing Survey 2022” part of the national wellbeing monitoring initiatives and implemented by the National Programme for Happiness and Wellbeing in the Ministry of Community Development in collaboration with the Federal Competitiveness & Statistics Authority every two years to measure the wellbeing of community members in the UAE

The move aims to determine affecting main factors in all sectors aligned with the pillars of the National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031.

As part of the events and initiatives organised by the Ministry of Community Development at Expo 2020 Dubai to celebrate the International Day of Happiness coinciding on 20th March each year, these were attended by Zaki Nusseibeh, Chancellor of UAE University, as well as other officials and experts inside and outside the UAE.

The International Day of Happiness began with the opening of Sustainability Gate at Expo 2020 Dubai with the participation of  Hessa Bint Essa Buhumaid,  Zaki Nusseibeh and Dr. Amer Al Sharif, Vice Chancellor of Mohammad Bin Rashid University for Medicine and Health Sciences “MBRU”, members of the wellbeing council, ministries’ undersecretaries, and directors of government authorities.

The activities of the Ministry of Community Developments celebrations of International Day of Happiness included various sessions and events, most notably the school of life initiative sessions of the National Programme for Happiness and Wellbeing presented by Steve Harvey, the international TV Host, a number of sessions participated by international officials and experts featuring , ‘Shape of Wellbeing Post COVID 19’, ‘Wellbeing of Communities’, and ‘Wellbeing and Happiness in Workplace’.

Hessa Bint Essa Buhumaid, launched the “National Wellbeing Survey 2022” in the attendance of Hanan Mansoor Ahli, Acting Director of the Federal Competitiveness & Statistics Center, representative of the ministry’s partner in the survey. The survey included (122) questions divided into three levels: advanced country, connected society and individuals’ wellbeing.

The survey targets all community members, UAE citizens and residents, aged 15 years above and measures the wellbeing levels of community members in the UAE in (7) sectors: society, health, education, economy, security, justice, safety, infrastructure, housing, environment and human resources in an effort to provide initiatives and outcomes that establish a better wellbeing for all the members of the society.

In an opening address in the International Day of Happiness in Expo 2020 Dubai, Hessa Bint Essa Buhumaid, Minister of Community Development said: “The UAE leadership has strived to achieve and embody happiness and wellbeing on ground and made remarkable efforts to achieve a better wellbeing for its nation and disseminate the understanding of wellbeing globally. That’s what we see at Expo 2020 Dubai through the theme “Connecting minds and Creating the Future”; through our eyes and millions of visitors seeing Expo as an international exhibition gathering different countries all over the world.”

She spoke about the value of happiness and the concept of wellbeing since the UAE establishment to present based on the perspective and vision of the UAE leadership, guidance and actions for all authorities in the country. 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 work of excellence.

She  highlighted some of the happiness and wellbeing indicators in the UAE beginning from the UAE Passport becoming the most powerful passport globally, UAE safest country for people to walk at night, UAE bein the first when it comes to people’s confidence in its government. The UAE was the first globally in 152 development, economic and social indicators despite the COVID-19 pandemic and its repercussions for many countries of the world. Thanks to the leadership vision, the UAE is the first country globally in 20 indicators related to wellbeing. According to Gallup’s Global Law and Order 2021 report, the UAE ranked as the first global country for people feeling safe while walking alone at night and rose to the top in the world COVID-19 resilience ranking and one of the top global rankings for first dose vaccination rates.

She elaborated that wellbeing is our everyday responsibility and task of the UAE government in various professional positions. 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 borders.

The Minister of Community Development stated that the UAE achieved diversified accomplishments in wellbeing, it is the home to happiness. “Expo 2020 Dubai goals are the same legacy of our leadership and renewed aspirations, to complete progress and development. These are the basic foundations of the UAE since the seventies until this day.

“We are all pleased to be part of the International Day of Happiness in Expo 2020 Dubai, an international exhibition filled with success, excellence and dazzle. Let us all work to make this occasion happy for everyone,” she concluded.