People take part in the Dubai Run. The UAE has been ranked 21st in the 2025 World Happiness Report. Ruel Pableo for The National
People take part in the Dubai Run. The UAE has been ranked 21st in the 2025 World Happiness Report. Ruel Pableo for The National
People take part in the Dubai Run. The UAE has been ranked 21st in the 2025 World Happiness Report. Ruel Pableo for The National
People take part in the Dubai Run. The UAE has been ranked 21st in the 2025 World Happiness Report. Ruel Pableo for The National

UAE ranks among world's happiest countries as US falls to lowest place ever


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The UAE has been ranked among the world’s happiest countries, after the release of an annual survey that assesses life satisfaction.

The Emirates has been ranked 21st in the 2025 World Happiness Report, above countries such as the UK (23rd), the US (24th) and France (33rd).

Finland is considered the world's happiest nation for the eighth year in a row, while Mexico and Costa Rica are in the top 10 for the first time since the report was first published in 2012. The US's placing is its worst since the report began.

Compiled by Gallup, the report ranks 147 countries by their happiness levels based on a population's average assessment of their quality of life from 2022 to 2024. “Happiness isn't just about wealth or growth, it's about trust, connection and knowing people have your back,” Jon Clifton, chief executive of Gallup, said.

Afghanistan is ranked as the unhappiest country in the world. Sierra Leone, in western Africa, is the second unhappiest, with Lebanon ranking third from bottom.

The report evaluates nations based on indicators such as income, economic production, social support, life expectancy, freedom, absence of corruption and generosity.

Earlier on Thursday, the UAE reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing the well-being and quality of life of all residents and citizens by marking the International Day of Happiness, state news agency Wam reported.

The Emirates was one of the first countries to integrate happiness as a central metric in government policies, and in 2016 it introduced the role of Minister of State for Happiness. Following a cabinet reshuffle in October 2017, the role was expanded to include the well-being portfolio. In July 2020, the portfolio for Quality of Life and Happiness was transferred to the Ministry of Community Development.

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UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

The struggle is on for active managers

David Einhorn closed out 2018 with his biggest annual loss ever for the 22-year-old Greenlight Capital.

The firm’s main hedge fund fell 9 per cent in December, extending this year’s decline to 34 percent, according to an investor update viewed by Bloomberg.

Greenlight posted some of the industry’s best returns in its early years, but has stumbled since losing more than 20 per cent in 2015.

Other value-investing managers have also struggled, as a decade of historically low interest rates and the rise of passive investing and quant trading pushed growth stocks past their inexpensive brethren. Three Bays Capital and SPO Partners & Co., which sought to make wagers on undervalued stocks, closed in 2018. Mr Einhorn has repeatedly expressed his frustration with the poor performance this year, while remaining steadfast in his commitment to value investing.

Greenlight, which posted gains only in May and October, underperformed both the broader market and its peers in 2018. The S&P 500 Index dropped 4.4 per cent, including dividends, while the HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index, an early indicator of industry performance, fell 7 per cent through December. 28.

At the start of the year, Greenlight managed $6.3 billion in assets, according to a regulatory filing. By May, the firm was down to $5.5bn. 

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COMPANY PROFILE

Company name: Letstango.com

Started: June 2013

Founder: Alex Tchablakian

Based: Dubai

Industry: e-commerce

Initial investment: Dh10 million

Investors: Self-funded

Total customers: 300,000 unique customers every month

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Updated: March 21, 2025, 3:57 AM