Nine in 10 Emiratis say they are happy with their standard of living.
Ninety-one per cent of UAE nationals are either “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their quality of life, according to a survey by TNS Mena, a market researcher.
They rank closely behind the world’s happiest citizens, who live in Europe. In Denmark, Holland and Sweden, 97 per cent of people are very satisfied with their quality of life, the Eurobarometer 76 survey shows.
The UAE Opinion Survey, which measured the general public’s satisfaction levels, was conducted in 2011 and 2012 with 5,000 Emiratis from across the UAE.
Respondents were asked to score their satisfaction on a five-point scale, with five being very satisfied and one very dissatisfied.
The survey took into account a 5 per cent margin of error.
Abdulhannan Kareem, 29, said nationals had a “great quality of life” because they were “blessed to have great leaders who have provided all the necessary and the needful for each Emirati”.
“They have given us houses, education, health care, jobs and a great, peaceful country which we love so much,” Mr Kareem said.
Hind Al Khamiri, 37, said Emiratis had a good life “because of our high salaries, compared with other GCC nationals”.
Adil Al Bloushi, 27, said most Emiratis felt this way. “Our lives are made easier because the country provides us with more than the basic needs,” Mr Al Bloushi said.
Emiratis are given houses or land to build homes, which he said was the “main thing for any family”.
“The Government has made our lives very easy, so we feel we live in a healthy place,” Mr Al Bloushi said.
TNS’s chief executive, Steve Hamilton-Clark, said a satisfaction rating above 90 per cent was the “gold standard” in similar surveys.
The UAE’s rating exceeds the All Europe Index, at 75 per cent. It also beats satisfaction ratings for countries such as the UK, at 87 per cent.
molson@thenational.ae
