National Program for Happiness and Wellbeing launches Business for Wellbeing Council

The National Program for Happiness and Wellbeing has announced the launch of the 'Business for Wellbeing Council', a new public-private partnership initiative in the UAE that aims to enhance workplace wellbeing in the private sector.
The council is comprised of eight leading national and multinational enterprises operating across various sectors. Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Happiness and Wellbeing, and Director General of the Prime Minister's Office stated that the initiative comes in support to the efforts to achieve the objectives of the National Strategy for Wellbeing issued last June by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, which targets the enhancement of wellbeing at the workplace in the UAE.
Al Roumi affirmed that the National Program for Happiness and Wellbeing is keen on creating an platform that cements the active partnership between the government and the private sector for the purpose of promoting wellbeing in the workplace across the UAE. She indicated that the National Strategy for Wellbeing focuses on the improvement of wellbeing in societies, including wellbeing in the workplace across various sectors and industries.
She added that within its efforts to enhance awareness on wellbeing in the workplace, the National Program for Happiness and Wellbeing worked on training 500 government employee and required them to successfully launch their wellbeing initiatives at the workplace.
Al Roumi reiterated that the private sector is a main and active part of the UAE economic and social construct. It is important that the enhancement of wellbeing in the workplace is addressed in partnership with the business sector, and that the understanding of wellbeing is promoted within the private sector in a manner that supports its performance and boosts its productivity.
She expressed her gratitude toward the founding members of the Business for Wellbeing Council, praising their high sense of initiative in being part of the council. She also invited businesses in the UAE's private sector to join the council.
The eight members of the Business for Wellbeing Council include: Majid Al Futtaim Group, Landmark Group, Emirates NBD, Etihad Airways, Aldar Properties, Emirates Airlines, Unilever, and Cisco. The companies employ over 250,000 employees combined, operate in over 12 sectors and generate revenues of excess of Dh200 billion annually.
On council's first meeting, members discussed future plans and required methods to enhance wellbeing at workplace practices. They also discussed the mechanism to be set to fulfill the council's goals and objectives of enhancing wellbeing in the workplace in the UAE's private sector, which employs over five million people. The council will serve as an interactive hub for both the government and private sectors, and work to shape the future of workplaces in the UAE, and strengthen the UAE's position as a knowledge hub for wellbeing best practices via a fully integrated scientific methodology.
- business@khaleejtimes.com