UAE Named Happiest Country in the Arab World

The UAE has been named the happiest country in the Arab world, placing 21st globally in the 2025 World Happiness Report, which surveyed 130 countries using data collected by Gallup and Oxford's Wellbeing Research Centre. With a happiness score of 6.759, the UAE ranked just behind Finland—the world’s top scorer at 7.736—but ahead of countries such as the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Germany, Singapore, Spain and Italy.

The UAE’s focus on social wellbeing has played a central role in these results. In 2016, the country launched the National Programme for Happiness and Quality of Life, embedding happiness metrics into federal strategies and appointing a Minister of State for Happiness.

This focus has continued on the global stage. In 2018, the UAE joined five other countries—Portugal, Costa Rica, Mexico, Kazakhstan and Slovenia—to establish the Global Alliance for Happiness and Quality of Life, following the Global Dialogue on Happiness held during the World Government Summit.

The report defines happiness using indicators like GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and perceptions of corruption.