The UAE’s high happiness quotient is no happy coincidence. The country takes the happiness and well-being of its residents very seriously. So seriously that it has embedded happiness into the national agenda. The government aims for the country to be among the best in the world in the Human Development Index and the happiest of all nations so that its citizens feel proud to belong to the UAE.
Weather
Despite its location in the Middle East, the UAE experiences all four seasons on the year: winter, spring, summer and autumn. Overall, though, the country has a desert climate. It sees mild winters and harsh summers with high humidity.
Cost of Living
Given its high quality of life, cost of living in the UAE is fairly reasonable. In March 2021, UAE was the 36th most expensive country to live. Rents are comparatively high, as is the cost of education. The average cost of living for a family of four is Dh12,000 ($3,000) per month.
Global Connectivity
The UAE is among the top five most connected countries in the world. It is ranked first in the Mena region. The country ranks 28th for visa openness. Dubai International Airport, or DXB, has led the world with the most international travellers for seven years in a row.
Healthcare
Healthcare services and standards in the UAE are excellent. The UAE ranked 22nd in the World Index of Healthcare Innovation. There are about 25,000 doctors and almost 50,000 nurses in the country’s nearly 150 government and private hospitals. The cost of medical services is relatively high, in line with the quality of care.
Taxation
The UAE does not impose income taxes on companies and individuals living in the country. It was a tax-free country until it introduced a 5% Value Added Tax (VAT) in January 2018. The country does, however, levy a corporate tax on oil companies and foreign banks. The UAE has double tax agreements with 90 countries, and another 21 pending double tax treaties.
Popular Places & Cuisines
The UAE holds 425 world records, the most in the Mena region. Some of those include landmarks like the world’s tallest tower and the largest mall. At 829.8 metres, Dubai’s Burj Khalifa is the world’s tallest skyscraper.
Crime Index
The UAE is the third safest country in the world, with a safety index score of 84.55 and a crime index score of 15.45. In 2020, Abu Dhabi was ranked the world’s safest city for the fifth year in a row, with Sharjah and Dubai among the top 10. The crime rate in the country is relatively low compared to other highly industrialised nations. In comparison to similarly-sized cities, Dubai’s crime rate is significantly lower. The UAE is ranked fourth among countries where people feel safe walking alone at night.
Quality of Life
The quality of life in the UAE is beyond compare. The nation is among the top 10 on the parameter of quality of life. It is the biggest reason why many expat residents and retirees choose to live in the UAE. The government is pursuing a strategy to make the UAE a world leader in the quality of life by 2031.
Government Stability
The UAE has always been one of the most stable political systems in not just the Arab region, but also the world. The federation has maintained stability since it was founded in December 1971. The UAE enjoys a stable general political situation. As the most diversified economy in the Arab World, the UAE has made tremendous progress in all sectors: education, infrastructure, public services, economic sustainability and human capital.
Economic Freedom
The UAE is among the top three most economically free Arab nations. The second-largest Arab economy (after Saudi Arabia), the UAE has a gross domestic product per capita of $39,179. The World Economic Forum had named the country the most competitive economy gaming the 22 countries of the in the Arab world. The UAE’s economic freedom score is 76.2, making its economy the 18th freest in the Heritage Foundation’s 2020 Index of Economic Freedom.
“Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action,” Benjamin Disraeli, the former British Prime Minister, said in the 1800s. The UAE, a young nation born 90 years after Disraeli’s death in 1881, spares no action when it comes to ensuring the happiness of its people: citizens, expat residents and visitors. The World Happiness Report 2020 ranked the UAE as the happiest country in the Arab world for the sixth year in a row (this year’s report was awaited at the time of publishing this article).
The UAE ranked 21 overall out of 153 countries assessed. Finland took the top spot with Denmark and Switzerland making the top three. The report, issued by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network annually since 2012, also positioned Abu Dhabi and Dubai as the happiest Arab cities.
The UAE’s high happiness quotient is no happy coincidence, though. The country takes the happiness and well-being of its residents very seriously. So seriously that it has embedded happiness into the national agenda. The government aims for the country to be among the best in the world in the Human Development Index and the happiest of all nations so that its citizens feel proud to belong to the UAE.
The UAE is one of only four national governments in the world to appoint a senior government member responsible for coordinating national happiness efforts. Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi has been the UAE’s Minister of State for Happiness and Wellbeing since 2016.
The Government should nurture an environment in which people create and enjoy their own happiness
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai
“The Government should nurture an environment in which people create and enjoy their own happiness,” says His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE’s Vice-President and Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai.
Recently published results of a country-wide happiness survey show that 93 per cent of the UAE’s population, including citizens and residents, are proud to live in the country.
The country scores extremely well on lifestyle, career satisfaction and income parameters. The latest HSBC Expat Explorer Survey 2020 ranks the UAE No. 2 in the world on expat income and No. 3 on disposable income while it stacks among the Top 5 on the quality of life and fulfilment parameters.
Many expats who have been in the country for generations call it home. The UAE is second only to Qatar when it comes to the share of expats in its total population. Official stats show that the UAE is home to more than 200 nationalities and more than 80 per cent of its 10 million population is foreign-born.
Many expats who have been in the country for generations call it home. The UAE is second only to Qatar when it comes to the share of expats in its total population. Official stats show that the UAE is home to more than 200 nationalities and more than 80 per cent of its 10 million population is foreign-born.
In May 2002, the UAE became the first country in the region to allow foreigners to buy properties in Dubai. This kickstarted an unprecedented real estate boom in the emirate, with property values in designated freehold areas surging at a breakneck speed. In 2008-09, the global financial crisis brought an abrupt end to that property supercycle. However, construction of new homes, offices and retail areas continued and prices once again began their upward march within a few years. Dubai’s property market is today among the most vibrant in the world.
In April 2019, Abu Dhabi made changes to the laws governing property ownership in the UAE capital, allowing expatriates to buy freehold properties in certain free zones of the emirate. They were previously permitted to own properties only on a leasehold of up to 99 years. The Abu Dhabi real estate market is growing at a rapid clip, too.
In late 2020, the UAE government expanded its ‘Golden Visa’ program that grants 10-year residency to a. number of professionals and degree holders. It also introduced a five-year retirement visa for people above the age of 55. It introduced a remote worker visa allowing one-year stays for people with employment overseas, granted they meet a salary requirement.
The UAE issues more than 100 different types of visas. The authorities have made the visa process quick and easy. People of 33 nationalities including five Arab Gulf countries do not need to apply for a visa before arriving in the UAE. In 2019, the UAE implemented a new system for long-term residence visas.
The UAE issues more than 100 different types of visas. The authorities have made the visa process quick and easy. People of 33 nationalities including five Arab Gulf countries do not need to apply for a visa before arriving in the UAE. In 2019, the UAE implemented a new system for long-term residence visas. The new system enables foreigners to live, work and study in the country without the need of a national sponsor and with 100 per cent ownership of their business on the UAE’s mainland. These visas are issued for five or 10 years and are renewed automatically.
In February 2021, the UAE announced it will be offering its passport, ranked as one of the best in the world for mobility, to select foreigners and professionals including “investors, doctors, specialists, inventors, scientists, talents, intellectuals, artists and their families”. The UAE passport grants visa-free access to 121 countries. This is a major first for the Gulf state.
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