Happiness is relative; what makes one person happy isn't necessarily going to bring an ear-to-ear smile on another. The same applies to living in a certain country.
An annual report depicting happiness in countries around the world was just released, and the rankings are based on individuals' own assessment of their lives.
According to the World Happiness Report, published annually by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Finland is considered to be the world's happiest country with a 7.7 score. The European country is followed by Denmark (7.6 score) and Norway (7.5 score).
How do Arab countries rank in comparison?
- United Arab Emirates (21st globally)
Score: 6.825 - Saudi Arabia (28th globally)
Score: 6.375 - Qatar (29th globally)
Score: 6.374 - Bahrain (37th globally)
Score: 6.199 - Kuwait (51st globally)
Score: 6.021 - Libya (72nd globally)
Score: 5.525 - Algeria (88th globally)
Score: 5.211 - Morocco (89th globally)
Score: 5.208 - Lebanon (91st globally)
Score: 5.197 - Jordan (101st globally)
Score: 4.906 - Palestine (110th globally)
Score: 4.696 - Somalia (112th globally)
Score: 4.668 - Mauritania (122nd globally)
Score: 4.490 - Tunisia (124th globally)
Score: 4.461 - Iraq (126th globally)
Score: 4.437 - Egypt (137th globally)
Score: 4.166 - Comoros (142nd globally)
Score: 3.973 - Syria (149th globally)
Score: 3.462 - Yemen (151st globally)
Score: 3.380
Note: Oman and Djibouti have been excluded from the ranking.
The UAE's commitment to happiness
In recent years, the UAE has been taking major steps to promote happiness ... and it seems as though it has been paying off. In the past five years, the country has outranked other Arab countries in terms of its residents' happiness.
Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has previously voiced the nation's goal in reaching the top of that ranking within the coming years. According to the 2015 Arab Youth Survey, more young Arab people want to live in the UAE than in any other country in the world.
In 2016, the UAE appointed its first-ever minister of happiness. The Ministry of Happiness is all about promoting and sustaining happiness throughout the UAE. In March 2017, the UAE launched the World Happiness Council which aims to improve the state of happiness throughout the UAE and across the world, focusing on health, education, environment, personal happiness, happy cities, and community standards for happiness.