People residing in Oman and Saudi Arabia are the happiest in the Middle East, according to a survey.

Oman has the highest percentage of happy people, with 61 per cent, followed by Saudi Arabia (57%), Qatar (56%), Bahrain (54%), Kuwait (53%), UAE (52%), Jordan (47%), Egypt (46%), Syria (46%), Morocco (44%) and Lebanon (35%), according to Maktoob Research’s first ‘Happiness Survey’.

The survey was conducted from March 11 to 17 among 7,434 residents of diverse nationalities across 11 countries in the GCC, Levant and North Africa region.

“A number of studies have been conducted in recent years by psychologists, who have endeavoured to find out whether happiness can truly benefit a person. Results from these studies have shown that happiness can indeed improve the quality of our lives. People who are happy are more likely to enjoy improved emotional and physical health, have stronger immune systems, live longer, possess higher energy levels, and use their intelligence more efficiently,” said a statement.

Benefits in the workplace include higher creativity, increased productivity and better salaries while social benefits include larger circles of friends, better marital relationships, stronger social support and richer social interaction, it said.

“With a list of benefits this large, it’s no wonder that people the world over constantly seek novel ways to increase their levels of happiness,” it said.

Among the key findings of the survey are:

* Factors that make people happy vary from country to country. However major reasons include – an optimistic nature, being part of a close-knit loving family, marital stability, wonderful friends, strong religious faith, high levels of job satisfaction, financial and career stability, sizable income, good health, a successful career and achievement of personal goals

* Reasons for unhappiness include very high costs of living, problems at work, insufficient salary, unemployment, bad health, obesity, dissatisfaction with personal appearance, unhappy marital and family life, lack of close friends, large debts, unsatisfactory academic results, recent loss of loved ones, general instability and uncertainty regarding the future

* One of the predominant reasons for unhappiness quoted by respondents living in Lebanon is the current lack of political stability prevailing in the country

* Quite a few respondents said that they would refer to themselves as neither happy nor unhappy. Some of their main reasons included boredom, loneliness, inability to pursue their dreams, general apathy and a lack of ambition

* The results surprisingly revealed that overall happiness levels of men and women across the region equalled at 49%. 19% men and 17% women classed themselves as unhappy while the remaining classed themselves as neither happy nor unhappy

* Older respondents (aged 46 and above) clearly emerged as the happiest with an overall happiness quotient of 59%; these were followed by respondents aged 36 – 45 (54%), followed by respondents below the age of 18 of whom 53% classed themselves as happy. 47.5 percent of respondents in the 18 – 35 group considered themselves happy.

* The following cities were ranked ‘happiest’ in their respective countries – Manama at 67% in Bahrain, Suez at 56% in Egypt, Zarqa at 51% in Jordan, Kuwait City at 56% in Kuwait, Tyre at 50% in Lebanon, Tangier at 56% in Morocco, Buraimi at 88% in Oman, Doha at 58% in Qatar, Medinah at 83% in Saudi Arabia and Damascus at 48% in Syria. Al Ain, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain tied for ‘happiest city’ in the UAE at 56%.

"Our first ‘Happiness Survey’ has revealed some very interesting results,” said Maktoob Research director Tamara Deprez.

“The GCC countries emerge as the happiest with Oman and Saudi Arabia taking the lead. The survey has also revealed that respondents below the age of 18 and above 36 are the happiest. Anoth