Do you ever wonder why the UAE feels so welcoming, no matter where you come from? With over 200 nationalities living here, the country has built a society that embraces diversity, opportunity, and a sense of belonging.
For many OFWs and their families, the UAE has become not only a place to work but a second home.
Just recently, in March 2025, it ranked 21st in the World Happiness Report—but it’s not just luck. The government actively works to make life better and more enjoyable for everyone.
One of the most notable ways it does this is through programs dedicated to enhancing happiness and well-being for residents, citizens, and visitors. These initiatives are carefully designed to make life not just easier, but more fulfilling, productive, and supportive across workplaces, government services, and community life.
National Programme for Happiness and Wellbeing
Launched in 2016, the National Programme for Happiness and Wellbeing makes happiness measurable and actionable across government services, workplaces, and communities. It focuses on integrating happiness into policies and programs, promoting positive lifestyle, and tracking satisfaction through surveys and indexes. Key initiatives include appointing Chief Happiness & Wellbeing Officers trained in the science of happiness, launching the Customer Happiness Formula to improve public services, forming Councils for Happiness and Wellbeing to ensure a unified approach, and creating platforms like Friends of Happiness to engage the community. The programme also produces research, cultural content, and resources to embed happiness into everyday life.
Wellbeing Academy
The Wellbeing Academy is a virtual learning platform for government employees. It offers specialized training on the science of happiness, mindfulness, leading happy teams, integrating well-being into policies and services, and measuring impact. Employees also have access to interactive sessions, online courses, and guidance from national and international experts to apply best practices in their work.
A Guide to Happiness and Well-Being at Workplace
The UAE also launched a Guide to Happiness and Well-Being at Workplace, which helps organizations create supportive, engaging, and productive work environments. It outlines strategies for fostering positive workplace culture, boosting employee morale, and increasing engagement, all while ensuring services for customers remain high-quality and people-centered.
Through these programs, the UAE ensures happiness is measurable, actionable, and integrated into government services, workplace culture, and community life—contributing to its consistent ranking among the happiest countries globally and topping Arab nations in the UN World Happiness Reports.
Why It Matters
This isn’t just about feeling good. It’s about creating a society where people feel valued, supported, and motivated—from smooth government services to workplaces that genuinely care about well-being.
The UAE Ministry of Happiness shows that a country can thrive not just economically, but emotionally, making life better for everyone who calls it home.
