Dubai proud of its 'happy' scorecard

Dubai - According to the survey, 94% of respondents said that Dubai Police treats everyone fairly,

Dubai residents have shown immense faith and optimism in the emirate's authorities as most of them have affirmed they feel happy, safe and secure and satisfied with their life here in the latest survey.

The happiness degree and levels of satisfaction felt by the Dubai population is seeing a steady growth, as per the results of the Dubai Social Survey 2015 conducted by the Community Development Authority in cooperation with Dubai Statistics Center.

Reviewing the results, Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, on Monday said: "Perhaps the most important message coming from the results is that Dubai residents feel safe and secure. This is not new to the UAE as the spirit of tolerance and the rule of law, have created a civilized, happy and stable community."

Key findings

According to the survey, 94% of respondents said that Dubai Police treats everyone fairly, and 98% of all respondents said they have trust and confidence in Dubai Police. The elderly are the happiest segment, with the survey revealing a 930 satisfaction rate in services for them. There was also a 98% satisfaction in human rights services. Among other key results, 62% of Emirati individuals with special needs said they are completely independent and self-reliant.

Shaikh Hamdan stressed that the Dubai Government is committed to ensuring the highest quality of life for Dubai's residents and utilising all resources to enhance Dubai's economic and social competitiveness. He said: "Social security is one of the government's top priorities and community welfare and happiness are our main objectives."

The survey, which sampled 15,165 individuals, including 9,709 Emiratis, measures current levels of customer satisfaction in social services, and KPIs related to the social sector in Dubai Plan 2021, in addition to studying key social trends. It revealed that family cohesion, observance of laws and regulations and respect for traditions, are the social values that are most important to Emiratis.

A happy scorecard except...

An increase in people's happiness was also observed with the indicator receiving a score of 8.2 out of 10. Among the respondents, 98% of citizens and residents feel safe on the streets compared to 91% in Hong Kong and Singapore as recorded in the Gallup Global Law and Order 2015 report. The survey also revealed that 95% of non-Emirati respondents said they have freedom of religious expression while 93% of non-Emirati respondents said human rights are upheld in Dubai.

CDA Director-General Ahmad Abdulkarim Julfar said: "The social surveys and field studies help define the requirements for services aimed at meeting the needs of different segments of the community. The survey has revealed positive results which means Dubai is on the right track. However, there are very few areas that require attention, such as the low volunteering rate in Dubai. We already have more than 6,000 volunteers and this is a good number. We are still new to this culture of volunteering and are gradually building it up by making new policies and programmes to motivate and involve them."

DSC Executive Director Arif Al Muhairi said: "The social survey results contribute to the development of many regulations, plans and decisions related to social services. We are currently preparing for the 2017 survey. The Dubai survey highlights changes and trends in the social sector and provides information about actual needs and expectations."

saman@khaleejtimes.com

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