Smart Dubai showcases happiness agenda strategy at RTA

UAE, July 2, 2016– Smart Dubai Office (SDO) held an introductory meeting at the headquarters of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), during which H.E. Dr. Aisha Bint Butti Bin Bishr, Director General of SDO, met with RTA’s happiness strategy team represented by H.E. Yousef Jawad Al Redha, head of the team, and H.E. Abdullah Al Madani, deputy head of the team and CEO of RTA's Corporate Technical Support Services.

During the meeting, Dr. Aisha showcased the Smart Dubai Happiness Agenda, which follows systematic and science-based methods to enable Dubai City to create the opportunities that would lead to happiness across the city.

The SDO is tasked with planning and overseeing the implementation of the happiness agenda approved by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, with the aim of supporting Dubai’s transformation into a smart city by adopting a globally unique, science-based approach that puts the happiness of the public on top of its priorities, enabling Dubai inhabitants to access services in a 24/7 easy, efficient, convenient and seam less way, thereby creating a high level of satisfaction and happiness in their lives.

Dr. Aisha showcased the happiness agenda strategy, which followed an internationally benchmarked change agenda framework, identifying 16 programmes in 4 strategic portfolios - Discover, Measure, Change and Educate –with the aim of meeting people’s needs and hence enhancing their happiness in both the short and long run.

She explained that the happiness agenda would help discover these needs and create the changes that would provide a convenient environment for meeting these needs.

Meanwhile, Al Madani underlined the RTA’s ongoing keenness on continuously collaborating with all Dubai government entities concerned with transforming Dubai into the smartest city in the world in three years. 

This initiative tops Dubai Government’s priorities for ensuring the best means of convenience and well-being for the emirate’s inhabitants including citizens, residents, visitors and tourists and bringing happiness to them, he said, adding that the prudent leadership instructed the government and semi-government authorities, departments and establishments to implement the initiative for all UAE people.

To achieve this noble goal in line with Dubai’s prestigious position, Al Madani said: “The RTA is always keenon using the latest IT updates to ease all online procedures and transactions in order to be in the lead in this domain, which has become one of the most fundamental pillars of modern life. The RTA has bagged an award for its tireless efforts in this field by implementing the best global technical practices with respect to expanding, enhancing and providing GIS services in a steady manner.”

The 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 featured a range of policies and programmes to ensure that leaderships are supplied with adequate tools and support structures as necessary for implementing the happiness strategy.

The task of managing and overseeing the implementation of the happiness agenda has been assigned to the SDO in its capacity as the entity charged with leading Dubai’s transformation to a smart city and at the same time striving to achieve people’s happiness in line with HH Sheikh Mohammed’s vision of making Dubai the happiest city in the world through using technology innovations. Smart Dubai is working side by side with its strategic partners in the public and private sectors to enhance happy experiences for the whole city.