Sheikh Hamdan approves customer and employee happiness indices

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, on Thursday approved the results of the 2023 Dubai Government Customer and Employee Happiness Indices.

According to the report, issued by the Dubai Government Excellence Program (DGEP), an initiative of the General Secretariat of The Executive Council, Dubai government entities achieved an average customer happiness rating of 93%, while the average employee happiness rating stood at 88% through 2023. 

Sheikh Hamdan welcomed the results of the report, highlighting that the government’s constant efforts to improve its performance are in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to offer exemplary public services.

Commending the achievements outlined in the report, Sheikh Hamdan said: “Dubai's Government has created a global model for public services and every one of its achievements is a stepping stone to even greater accomplishments. I am proud of all Dubai’s government entities for achieving customer happiness levels above 90% and raising the average to 93%. The Dubai Government works tirelessly to improve its services, driven by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and we are entirely committed to continuous development.”

Sheikh Hamdan congratulated entities that topped customer happiness reviews, with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Housing Establishment (97.7%), the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (96.7%) and the Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services (96.1%) leading the way.

Top performers

Sheikh Hamdan described people as the most valuable asset of government entities, emphasising the importance of building human capacities and encouraging individuals to be proactive in making the best of opportunities and addressing challenges.

Overall happiness levels among government employees averaged 88% through 2023. The best entities in terms of achieving employee happiness were the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (95.17%), followed by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Housing Establishment (94.91%) and the Endowment and Minors Trust Foundation (Awqaf Dubai) (94.51%).

Sheikh Hamdan expressed his gratitude to government employees, saying: “Your exceptional efforts are appreciated and are a source of tremendous pride for Dubai. By giving your best to the people of this emirate, you are enhancing Dubai's leadership in the field of exceptional government services.”

He called on employees to remain dedicated in every effort to reinforce Dubai’s global position as a preferred destination to live and work, and strengthen the government’s international reputation for efficiency, innovation, people-centric agendas, foresight, and future readiness.

Sheikh Hamdan also unveiled the findings of the mystery shopper study, which placed the level of happiness with government entities at an impressive average of 94.8%.

Since the implementation of the new mystery shopping model, there has been a significant improvement in the results, underscoring the commitment of government entities to align with the leadership's directives and prioritise customer happiness.

Abdulla Mohammed Al Basti, Secretary General of The Executive Council of Dubai, and Chairman of the Dubai Government Excellence Program, said: “Dubai has set exceptional international benchmarks for government services through its focus on the happiness of its customers and employees. Dubai’s Government has exceeded 90% on customer satisfaction, reaffirming the high standard of public services achieved by the emirate. The 18th of January each year has become an eagerly awaited occasion with Dubai’s Government announcing results of the Dubai Government Customer and Employee Happiness Indices.”

Dr Hazza Khalfan Al Nuaimi, Coordinator General of the Dubai Government Excellence Program, said: “The Customer Happiness Index, Employee Happiness Index, and the Daily Mystery Shopper results are mechanisms that have been created based on two decades of continuous development and innovation in government performance."

"Government excellence in Dubai is based on clear performance indicators and assessment tools that accurately reflect the standard of government work and services. Our ultimate goal is to improve government performance and enhance efficiency, integration, and excellence at all levels.”

Geared for constant improvements

The results of the Dubai Government Customer and Employee Happiness Indices were aggregated through an online platform, which compares the government’s performance with previous years.

The platform categorises results, helping government entities to focus their efforts on areas that require improvement.

The 2023 results build on more than 20 years of progress, aiming to further align Dubai’s government with global best practices. The results of the three studies comprising the report – Customer Happiness, Employee Happiness, and Mystery Shopping – have logged consistent improvements year on year and measure up to the highest global standards.