How happy is the UAE's minister for happiness? Ohood Bint Khalfan Al Roumi reveals details

  DUBAI – It’s her job to make people in the UAE happy, but how happy is the Minister of State for Happiness? At the Arab Media Forum in Dubai on Wednesday, Ohood Bint Khalfan Al Roumi said she is very happy, although she does have her “ups and downs”. "When I was first named the minister of happiness, everyone around me told me that this means you'll always have to be happy and smile,” she said. “That's not true,” she said, “We're all human and we have emotions and ups and downs.” She explained that staying happy takes effort. “We have to wake up every morning and take a conscious decision to be optimistic and positive and see the world through a positive lens," she said. Pursuit of happiness In a world first, the UAE in February created the position of minister of happiness. The post was important in order to have someone who can “guide and follow up with all government institutions (as well as provide leadership to the private sector)” on ensuring “the happiness of individuals, families, and employees, their satisfaction with their lives and optimism for the future,” Shaikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, explained in a statement. During Wednesday’s forum, Al Roumi said she was counting on everyone in the government to promote happiness. “We do not have a ministry of happiness, happiness is the job of every single government employee,” she said. MFD/Expat Media