Ajman Executive Council to host conference on 'Quality of Life in UAE'

The conference - scheduled to take place on the 19th of March, 2013 at the Kempinski Hotel in Ajman - will also provide an opportunity for senior officials from various government and private entities to discuss and explore ways for the UAE to move further up in terms of the country's global happiness rating in the 'World Happiness Report' issued by the Earth Institute, Columbia University and other international quality of life reports and indicators.

"I am confident that that the conference delegates are looking forward to the opportunity to engage decision makers from both government and private sectors, on matters that relate to boosting happiness and quality of life in the UAE," said His Excellency Saeed Saif Al Matroushi, Secretary General of the Ajman Executive Council.

"The session will demonstrate the great efforts and contributions put forth by our country leadership to provide the highest levels of prosperity and welfare to its citizens, and pay tribute to the tremendous initiatives and achievements by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan; all of which have had a positive impact on the nation, and have elevated the UAE's rank on both a regional and international level," he added.

His Excellency Abdullah Nasser Lootah, Secretary General of the Emirates Competitiveness Council, said, "The conference will highlight the UAE's leading regional and global position in terms of various aspects that relate to quality of life, and the tremendous efforts exerted by the country's various entities to secure stability and a decent living for all members of the community."

"This commitment is driven by the determination of our nation's leaders to achieve the UAE Vision 2021, which bears the slogan "We Want to Be One of the Best Countries in the World"," added Lootah.

The World Happiness Report was unveiled during the 'Happiness Conference' held by the United Nations, with a list that included 50 countries - four of which were Arab countries, namely the UAE (17), Saudi Arabia (26), Kuwait (29) and Qatar (31). In the report, the UAE ranked above nations such as Britain (18) and Iceland (20).

Denmark ranked first followed by Finland, Norway and the Netherlands. The report assesses quality of life, a measurement that takes into account a range of factors that include health insurance, family, work and other social factors.