The United Arab Emirates now has a Minister of Happiness

Ohood Al Roumi.
(Image credit: Twitter.com/HHShkMohd)

The prime minister of the United Arab Emirates says "national happiness isn't a wish," and in order to make good on his promise, he's appointed a minister of state for happiness.

The prime minister is making it clear that this role is not just ceremonial. "Happiness in the UAE is not just a hope, there will be plans, projects, programs, and indicators," he said. Happiness will become "part of our lifestyle," he added, and to get the people motivated, he wrote a poem titled "Happiest Nation" and posted it to his website.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.