Soapbox:

Arab happiness

By Osama Ali Maher

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Not in any other place in the Arab world can people feel themselves happier than in the United Arab Emirates -- at least that is what Adrian White, analytical social psychologist at the University of Leicester, thinks. In his attempt to draw the world's first happiness map, White came to the conclusion that the happiest people on earth are those who live in Denmark while the most miserable are those living in Burundi in Central Africa.

The projection, which was published in a psychology journal this September, is based on the findings of over 100 studies that questioned 80,000 people worldwide. Participants in the various studies were asked questions related to happiness and satisfaction with life. Health, wealth and access to education are what people mostly associate with happiness, said White.

For the Arab region the United Arab Emirates came in first place followed by Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. It ranked 22nd out of 178 countries. The United States came 23rd. At the bottom of the list for Arab countries came Egypt occupying the 151st place with Sudan 173rd on the global list.

It is often thought that capitalism creates misery, but when asking people if they feel happy and satisfied with their lives, usually the answer is yes for those who live in countries with good healthcare facilities, high income and good access to education. Yet money is not everything. A recent BBC survey found that 81 per cent of the UK population thinks the government should focus on making people happier rather than wealthy. And there is increasing political interest in using measures of happiness as a national indicator in conjunction with measures of wealth.

Comparing the World Happiness Report issued by White and the Human Development Report issued by the UNDP, the trend in favour of Arab gulf countries is obvious. Gulf states are in a better position when it comes to both development and happiness. Of course we cannot forget the effect of oil and its consequence on all aspects of life in the gulf. But on the other hand we need to evaluate gulf country experiences in an objective way, far from prejudice and personal impressions. For now, at least White recommends, if you want to be happy in the Arab world go to the Emirates.

This week's Soapbox speaker is a member of the Swedish parliament.