The United Arab Emirates (UAE) government has announced the creation of a new position to boost the well-being of its citizens. Ohood Al Roumi was named the first minister of happiness and she is one of eight female ministers in the cabinet composed of 29 members, CNN reports.
Al Roumi wore a special "happy" necklace during her oath-taking ceremony, which was led by Dubai's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The happiness minister is tasked to "align and drive government policy to create social good and satisfaction," Sheikh Mohammed tweeted.
A new post, Minister of State for Happiness, will align and drive government policy to create social good and satisfaction.#WorldGovSummit
— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) February 8, 2016
Al Roumi will still keep her post as director general under the prime minister's office. She used to head Dubai's economic policy, Huffington Post reports.
UAE also assigned Sheikha Lubna bint Khaled al Qasimi as its new minister of tolerance and Shamma AlMazrui as minister of youth affairs as part of a cabinet shakeup. Sheikha Lubna was formerly the minister for foreign trade and became UAE's first female minister in 2004. AlMazrui is a 22-year-old Oxford master's graduate.
"Our ambitions are limitless and the UAE has high expectations of you," said Sheikh Mohammed during the oath taking, What's On Dubai reports. "We see you as trustworthy and hope that the UAE and its citizens will always remain your top priority."
UAE ranked in the top 20 in the United Nation's World Happiness Report in 2015; however, Sheikh Mohammed said he envisions rising in the ranks within five years.
