UAE launches world's first Happiness Policy Manual

The UAE Happiness Manual will help government to incorporate happiness into all stages of policy making – formulation, assessment and implementation.

The UAE has developed the world's first Happiness Policy Manual for government.

The manual has been launched by Her Excellency Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Happiness and Wellbeing, at a workshop for around 100 federal policy makers.

The document is intended to introduce the ‘science of happiness' to the policy-making process, proposing innovative ways to incorporate it into current and future public policies and then evaluating their effect on the happiness and wellbeing of society.

The manual was developed by the National Program for Happiness and Positivity.

HE Ohood Al Roumi said: "The UAE's ‘Happiness Policy Manual' is the first instrument of its kind in the world.

"The Manual balances personal happiness with societal aspects. It complements the National Program for Happiness and Positivity's efforts to empower Government entities by providing practical instruments for them to harmonise their policies and steer them towards achieving nation-wide happiness."

HE Al Roumi added that all Government departments can benefit from the tools and concepts provided in the Manual to incorporate happiness into their policies and programmes and, finally, evaluate their effect on target segments.

The Manual helps Government entities concentrate on happiness and align their policies and plans to ensure a happy society. It introduces concepts and tools that are applicable when setting new policies, in addition to reinforcing and improving existing policies.

The Happiness Policy Manual provides a systemic and practical explanation of happiness, and details tools to quantify and evaluate it. It seeks to incorporate happiness into all stages of policy making - formulation, assessment and implementation - and is an effective tool to align policies in the UAE.