Is it Important to be Happy at Work? Check out How Dubai is Revolutionizing Workplace Happiness

If you’re like every other employee in Dubai, you might be burning40+ hours a week. That’s like a quarter of your week spent at work. Of course, this is a huge chunk of your time, and you probably want to spend it in an enjoyable manner. But, right now not everyone is happy at work.

In fact, a survey conducted by Teem – a workplace analytics company revealed that out of 1,300 professionals, more than 48% reported as unhappy or “somewhat happy” at work.

Among the other factors, work-life balance is around 48%, feeling unappreciated is 46% and 49%are using communication tools that force them to respond whether they want to or not.

Work can be a little stressful, but that doesn’t mean that happiness cannot be achieved. It might seem difficult to attain. But it is the responsibility of both employees and employers to avoid burnout and maximize productivity to work in an environment where everyone can thrive and grow.

Pursuing happiness at work is a universal thing. With advanced technologies, Dubai is aiming to identify the core factors that keep employees happy at work and use innovation to increase the happiness quotient of employees.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister of UAE, aims to make Dubai the happiest city to work on earth. For this, the ‘Happiness Agenda’ agenda by Smart City has been launched in 2016 that placed individuals and their happiness in-check. Technology is helping to make this vision a reality.

The goal of Happiness Agenda is to spread happiness across the emirate and make it the world’s happiest city. In a survey by the UN, UAE currently ranks on 20^th position for countrywide happiness.

“We are working to raise Dubai’s happiness score to 95% by 2021, in partnership and cooperation with the government and private bodies,” said Her Excellency Dr. Aisha BintButti Bin Bishr, Director General of the Smart Dubai Office (SDO).

Where it all started?

To accomplish this goal, a Happiness Meter was designed to collect data from 8.8 million users in the year 2017. Dubai is the early adopter of this smart technology. The technology is taking the data, analyzing it and providing targeted, customized solutions for each employee.

According to Dr. Mansoor Anwar Habib, Senior Director – Employee Wellness & Happiness, du:

“We want to make simple processes and services easier so that you don’t have to spend an hour queuing. This will ultimately drive happiness to new heights throughout the UAE.”

What about Happiness at the government level?

Ohoodbint Khalfan Al Roumiwas appointed as the minister of Happiness for the state. His role was to ensure that the well-being of people is doubled as in comparison to last year.

Al Roumi was aimed and dedicated to “harmonize all the government plans in accordance with policies to create a happier society. A happier society will be able to work in contentment and help other residents to improve the quality of their lives.

Every department of the government, from the transport authority to the police is now working for a single cause, to improve the driver’s experience keeping in mind, “center of happiness”

For this, the Smart Dubai Office signed an MoU with the Rochester Institute Technology Dubai (RITD) to initiate the first Corporate Happiness Programme.

Developed in association with performance management firm Gallup – where the aim was to educate professionals on key concepts of happiness and equip them with tools to take the learning into their workplace.

In May 2017, Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA) graduated the first cohort of students from the Master of City Science program at the RITD. Accredited by the Commission for Academic Accreditation at the Ministry of Education, the program is the first of its kind in the MENA region.

Which is the happiest city in Dubai?

A smart city, with Silicon Park emerging in the first quarter of 2019 as Dubai’s first integrated smart city. At a cost of US$353.9 million, the project spans an area of 150,000 square meters.

We Build Great Mobile Apps That Get Noticed.

Official policies at work

With Dubai uniquely positioned to individuals and businesses looking to leave a mark on the future of their industry, a huge scope of opportunity exists in Dubai for smart new businesses. The Storey Group, established in 2016, is a UAE-based business advisory that helps clients throughout the MENA region to manage business transformation, deliver human capital projects and enhance employee engagement through world-class technology partnerships. Following on from The Storey Group’s partnership with Brownie Points, white-labeled sub-brand TASTAHEL will see international standard R&R protocols enter the regional workplace.

“The MENA region is ripe for development of international reward and recognition standards, given its growing success in developing and expanding its own outward-focused global brands and the increasing strides made by governments and the private sector to develop practices which are in line with the UN Happiness Index,” said Tony Delaney, CEO Brownie Points.

According to Dr. Mansoor Anwar Habib, a country is only as successful and as vibrant as its residents and citizens. Summing up Smart Dubai’s Happiness Agenda he says: “By putting the happiness of individuals at the spent of our transformation initiatives, we have a very clear roadmap of how we should utilize technologies to ensure that happiness levels remain high.”