If there is one lesson that policymakers have learned over the last few years, it is that economic growth and new technologies are not enough by themselves to satisfy the multiple needs of their citizens. That is why in the United Arab Emirates, to make sure that smart city investments reflect the interests and aspirations of residents, the Smart Dubai Office has developed a unique focus on happiness.
“Technology is not the end. This is what differentiates Dubai from other smart cities globally,” says Dr. Aisha Bin Bishr, the director general of Smart Dubai. “Technology should always be a means to enable us to be happier. The happiness of our people is at the center of all of our projects.
“In Dubai, we are known for taking futuristic ideas and making them happen. With our Happiness Agenda, we are using very scientific methodology and focusing on how to attain and measure happiness.”
“We don’t focus on technology. We focus on happiness.” Dr. Aisha Bin Bishr, Director General, Smart Dubai Office
In late 2014, Smart Dubai began work on a Happiness Meter, an online tool on which users can record their feelings after transacting with large organizations.
Smart Dubai initially rolled out the meter on the websites and in the customer service centers of government entities. In a second stage, some of Dubai’s largest private sector companies have also implemented the Happiness Meter; so far, the meter has collected more than six million votes.
As well as the meter, Smart Dubai’s Happiness Agenda includes projects to discover people’s needs, including their emotional and spiritual needs, to educate residents to prioritize their happiness, and to make the policy changes required for their needs to be fulfilled. The organization has also developed a sophisticated algorithm to help measure the happiness of different groups of people.
“In Dubai, we have 200 nationalities and communities,” Dr. Bin Bishr says. “We need to understand the different needs of all these communities and show them that happiness is not always materialistic. Happiness is measureable and it is attainable”
