Dubai: If you say you’re unhappy in Dubai, the police may call to ask you why as part of a new survey.
The online poll, unveiled in recent days, comes as Dubai tries to break into the top 10 rankings of world’s happiest cities by 2021.
The simple survey has users choose between a frown, a smile and an unimpressed straight line. The police say they will call those who say they are unhappy.
The effort to measure happiness can be seen in government offices across Dubai. Small tablet computers placed next to civil servants allow citizens to provide instant feedback on their experience.
Last year, authorities also began ranking municipal offices with a two-to-seven star system based on their customer service, part of Dubai’s “smart government” push.
That happiness effort has included the Dubai police. Twitter messages from the police often include the hashtag “Your Security Our Happiness” in both Arabic and English.
At a recent electronics show, the Dubai Police unveiled its happiness survey. It sent text messages to a number of Dubai residents including a link to a webpage showing a picture of Dubai’s ruler, Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, with the Burj Khalifa tower behind him. It asked one question in English and Arabic: “Are you happy in Dubai?”
In a statement, police said the survey received more than 200,000 responses in its first day, with 84 per cent saying they were happy, 6pc neutral and 10pc unhappy.
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