93.5 per cent of Abu Dhabi residents feel safe, reveals survey

The Department of Community Development (DCD) has announced the third cycle results for its Quality of Life Survey (QOLS), in which 82,761 community members participated, with the aim of measuring the quality of life and well-being of people living in Abu Dhabi. This has revealed several important indicators, including the fact that 93.5% of Abu Dhabi residents feel safe.

The survey is considered a main measuring tool for Abu Dhabi’s social and government sectors to develop its methods of working. Over the course of three cycles of the survey between 2020-2022, nearly 200,000 community members — both citizens and residents — participated and offered their opinions and suggestions on pertinent topics related to important societal issues.

Dr Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Chairman of the Department of Community Development said: “The Quality of Life Survey is the voice of society and it is continuously developing in line with the needs of all groups, especially since the results of the survey in the first cycle enabled the team to prepare strategies and develop important policies that contribute to development — this includes launching the Abu Dhabi Strategy for People of Determination, raising the quality of family life, developing initiatives that promote a culture of sports, in addition to developing a volunteer work policy, a social support policy, emergency procedures, and strengthening the protection policy for victims of violence and abuse.

The third cycle of the survey included 14 main indicators that were developed based on the results of the first and second rounds, namely: housing; job opportunities, revenues, family wealth, work-life balance, health, education and skills, security and personal safety, social relations, civic participation and governance, environment quality, social and cultural cohesion, social and community service, digital quality of life, happiness and well-being.

This survey was prepared in six languages — Arabic, English, Bengali, Hindi, Tagalog, and Telugu.

Prominent results: In the security and personal safety indicators, 93.5% of Abu Dhabi residents reported that they feel safe when walking alone at night, which is higher than the 93% recorded in 2020 and higher than all OECD countries. On a scale from 0 to 10, the happiness and well-being index recorded that the population of Abu Dhabi scored their satisfaction with life at 70%, which is higher than the OECD average of 67%, while the level of happiness among the population increased to 7.63, compared to the score of 7.17 in 2020.

The social relations indicators’ results showed the percentage of people who agreed or strongly agreed that they are satisfied with their social relationships is 74%, while the percentage of satisfaction with family life reached 73%, and the percentage of long or a little long time with the family increased to 39.2% comparing with 23.9% in the second cycle. The highest rates of happiness were recorded among people who met their friends several times a week, at 7.49 points on a scale of 0 to 10.

As for the social and cultural cohesion indicators, a very high level of national pride and community identity was recorded among Emirati citizens, and a sense of community identity among expatriates in Abu Dhabi. On religious freedom, 88.6% of individuals expressed that they agree or strongly agree with the phrase “I feel the religious freedom in Abu Dhabi.”

Among the digital quality of life indicators, which monitors digital access to data, access to information and communication technology, it found that 88.7% of Abu Dhabi residents enjoy internet services in their homes, which is higher than the 85.2% recorded in 2020.

The results of the survey support the department’s efforts to develop and protect society by combining modern lifestyles with cultural values, and to achieve harmony between society and all sectors of work. Additionally, the results will better contribute to the development of methods that will support the progress of all sectors of society.

Among the health indicators, 51.2% of the elderly answered that they suffer from chronic health problems.