UAE, June 27, 2016

Smart Dubai Office (SDO) held an introductory meeting at the headquarters of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), during which H.E. Dr. Aisha Bint Butti Bin Bishr, Director General of SDO, met with H.E. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director and CEO of DEWA, to showcase Smart Dubai Happiness Agenda developed by the SDO in order to support Dubai's transformation into a smart city through the adoption of a globally unique, science-based approach that puts the happiness of the public at the forefront of its priorities.

The meeting comes as part of SDO's general plan based on joint action and unifying efforts with the founding strategic partners to make a success of Smart Dubai's initiative aimed at positioning Dubai as the smartest and happiest city in the world. It is the first in a plan of meetings that the SDO intends to hold with its strategic partners to explain Smart Dubai initiative for implementing the Happiness Agenda, which follows systematic and scientific methods to enable Dubai to create the opportunities that will lead to happiness across the city by allowing Dubai inhabitants the ability to access services in a 24/7 easy, efficient, convenient and seamless way, thereby creating a high level of satisfaction and happiness in their life.

Showcasing SDO's Happiness Agenda initiative, Dr. Aisha gave a detailed explanation of Smart Dubai's role in drafting a plan and a methodology for implementing, overseeing and evaluating the Happiness Agenda and forging partnerships with local and global stakeholders from both the government and private sectors. She explained that the Happiness Agenda follows an internationally benchmarked change agenda framework, identifying 16 programmes in 4 strategic portfolios - Discover, Measure, Change and Educate - to create an unprecedentedly sustainable level of happiness for Dubai.

Expressing his delight at receiving the SDO delegation, Al Tayer said: "We are always guided by the approach of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to boost Dubai's competitiveness and support the goals of its strategic plan to ensure the provision of the highest rates of happiness and well-being for Dubai inhabitants and be able at the same time to be an efficient partner for Dubai to become the smartest and happiest city in the world."

Al Tayer added: "It is such an honour for DEWA to be included in the list of happiness pioneers after being honoured by HH Sheikh Mohammed as the first foundation to adopt the Happiness Meter. For our part, we fully support the strategic goals of Smart Dubai Happiness Agenda initiative through harnessing excellence and creativity and innovating the latest techniques by utilizing the best technologies to be able to provide the best and most refined services as per the highest international standards and hence fulfill DEWA's vision of becoming a sustainable innovative world-class utility, thereby serving the ultimate goal for Dubai to become the smartest and happiest city in the world."

Smart Dubai Happiness Agenda is mainly aimed at formulating a strategy related to happiness experiences based on scientific grounds and designed to assist decision-makers and leading entities from both the government and private sectors in identifying the impact of policies, programmes and projects in terms of how much they achieve the satisfaction and happiness of the society. The agenda also includes a roadmap developed by Smart Dubai following a careful study which features a range of policies and programmes to ensure that the leaderships are supplied with adequate tools and support structures as necessary for implementing the happiness strategy.

The Happiness Agenda is managed and overseen by SDO as the entity charged with leading Dubai's transformation to a smart city and striving to achieve people's happiness in line with HH Sheikh Mohammed's vision to make Dubai the happiest city on earth. Using technology innovation, Smart Dubai is working with its strategic partners in the public and private sectors to enhance happy experiences for the whole city.

-Ends-

About Smart Dubai
Launched in 2014, Smart Dubai is founded in the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to make Dubai the happiest city on earth, by embracing technology innovation across all city dimensions. 

Established in December 2015, the Smart Dubai Office is the government office charged with facilitating Dubai's citywide smart transformation, to empower, deliver and promote an efficient, seamless, safe and impactful city experience for residents and visitors.

Smart Dubai is committed to a collaborative and agile approach to Dubai's smart city transformation, empowering strategic partnerships with the public and private sector and academia to design and implement services and elevate citywide thought leadership, in line with its mission to make Dubai the happiest city on earth through technology innovation.

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© Press Release 2016