Happiness is considered to be so important in the UAE that last year the UAE’s first Minister of State for Happiness, Ohood Al Roumi, said that the government’s main job is to create happiness. As the nation’s capital, Abu Dhabi has recently taken several steps to augment the happiness of its residents, including The Happiness Patrol project, which involves distributing gift vouchers among law-abiding drivers. 

ServiceMarket has surveyed more than 1700 Abu Dhabi residents to find out which areas have the happiest residents in 2018. Residents were asked to rate each area on 19 different attributes, including the availability of public transportation, sense of community, facilities, child-friendliness, and greenery.  

Which areas have the happiest residents?

With an overall average rating of 4.12 out of a maximum of 5, Al Raha Beach topped the list of the highest rated areas in Abu Dhabi. The neighbourhood has plenty of green spaces, shops and restaurants and scored highly for the quality of the facilities available to its residents. 

Saadiyat Island, which literally means ‘island of happiness’, closely followed it with a rating of 4.05. It is being developed as a cultural hub of Abu Dhabi and offers many recreational and educational facilities to its residents. Residents rated it highly in terms of the quality and layout of its homes as well as the availability of parking spaces. 

Rated highly for being child-friendly, Al Reef was the third highest rated area. Since it lies on the outskirts of the Emirate, it’s an ideal residential area for people who need to commute to Dubai each day. 

What are the highest rated areas for a healthy lifestyle? 

A healthy lifestyle contributes a lot to our happiness and well-being, says ServiceMarket. For this reason, there is a strong correlation between the areas the rated highly for overall happiness and for access to a healthy lifestyle. Based on factors including greenery, walking possibilities, noise levels, and health facilities like swimming pools and gyms, the highest rated areas for a healthy lifestyle are Saadiyat Island, Al Raha Beach, and Al Reef. 

What are the highest rated areas for families with children? 

Most parents are likely to give a high priority to factors such as the proximity to schools, sense of community, child-friendliness and security while choosing an area. For these factors, the highest rated areas for families with children were Al Raha Beach, Saadiyat Island, and Al Kharamah.

To see the full survey outcome, visit the Service Market website.

See also:

Which Dubai neighbourhood has the happiest residents?

Abu Dhabi’s economy prepares for stronger growth in 2018

First commercial Hyperloop system to be created in Abu Dhabi