Saudi Arabia ranks 25th in UN World Happiness Report

General view of Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia. (REUTERS file photo)
Short Url
Updated 20 March 2022
Follow

Saudi Arabia ranks 25th in UN World Happiness Report

  • Finland tops the world’s happiest country for the fifth year while Afghanistan ranked as the unhappiest country in the world
  • It has measured the Kingdom’s progress since 2017, highlighting the influence of Saudi Vision 2030’s goals, including the development of the Quality of Life Program

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia has advanced one position to place 25th in this year’s World Happiness Report.

The survey, published by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, measures happiness levels in 156 countries around the world. Last year, the Kingdom placed 26th.

It has measured the Kingdom’s progress since 2017, highlighting the influence of Saudi Vision 2030’s goals, including the development of the Quality of Life Program.

It noted that the Kingdom has excelled in improving gross domestic product, social support, life expectancy, freedom to make life decisions, as well as ramping up efforts to confront corruption.

The Kingdom has established social support projects and economic programs that contribute to the country’s recovery from the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, the report said.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the World Happiness Report, which uses global survey data to report changes in the lives of the public around the world.

“The report has been based on two key ideas: That happiness or life evaluation can be measured through opinion surveys, and that we can identify key determinants of well-being and thereby explain the patterns of life evaluation across countries,” the report’s website says.

It added that the results of surveys can help countries craft policies aimed at achieving happier societies.


Saudi FM joins Arab counterparts in talks with Slovenia on Gaza, regional stability

Updated 06 February 2026
Follow

Saudi FM joins Arab counterparts in talks with Slovenia on Gaza, regional stability

  • Prince Faisal and Tanja Fajon later signed general cooperation agreement aimed at enhancing ties between Kingdom and Slovenia

LJUBLJANA: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held talks with Slovenia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon in Ljubljana on Friday, as he joined Arab counterparts for an expanded meeting focused on Gaza and wider regional developments.

Prince Faisal met Fajon separately to review Saudi-Slovenian relations and explore ways to strengthen cooperation across various fields, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The two sides later signed a general cooperation agreement aimed at enhancing ties between the Kingdom and Slovenia and intensifying joint efforts to support further progress and prosperity for both countries, SPA added.

The expanded ministerial meeting also brought together Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al-Zayani and Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan Al-Muraikhi.

During the talks, ministers discussed ways to bolster regional and international security and stability, with a focus on the situation in Gaza.

They stressed the need to uphold the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, ensure its full implementation and deliver sufficient and sustainable humanitarian aid to the enclave.

The officials also reviewed efforts to advance US President Donald Trump’s peace plan and reiterated the importance of achieving a clear political horizon leading to an independent and sovereign Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the two-state solution.

They addressed developments in the occupied West Bank, calling for an end to illegal, unilateral Israeli measures and violations against Islamic and Christian holy sites in occupied Jerusalem, warning that such actions undermined de-escalation efforts.

The ministers praised Slovenia’s support for Palestinian rights and its recognition of a Palestinian state, and also discussed broader regional developments, ways to reduce escalation through dialogue, and efforts to resolve the Russia-Ukraine crisis.