United Arab Emirates appoints first minister of happiness

February 16, 2016 01:08

The United Arab Emirates is not leaving the cheerfulness of its citizens to chance, appointing its first minister of happiness.

Ohood Al Roumi was sworn into the post this week, one of eight female ministers in the Persian Gulf nation's 29-member Cabinet.

Al Roumi will be joined by a new minister of tolerance, Sheikha Lubna bint Khaled al Qasimi, previously the minister of foreign trade, who became the UAE's first female minister in 2004.

So just what does a minister of happiness do? Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE's Prime Minister and the ruler of Dubai, spelled out his vision in a series of tweets, saying the new position will help create social good.

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