Dubai Electricity & Water Authority | DEWA BAGS THE 15th Middle East eGovernment and eServices Excellence Awards

The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority won The 15th Middle East eGovernment and eServices Excellence Awards awarded by the Institute for Middle East Award for Excellence, which chose DEWA according to its stringent criteria tracking the best achievements and innovations in the field of government, electronic trading, information technology and telecommunication. The Electricity and Water Authority Dubai has also received several awards over the past months, most notably the GCC e-Government Award 2009 in December of last year, for the category of the best electronic service for its ePay system. The Authority also competed on international awards in various fields as it thrives for global challenges while relying on its solid base of achievements and practices in various business activities as well as the application of the highest international standards. During the ceremony which was held for the occasion in the presence of Anwar Ibrahim, former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, HE Dr. Rashid Bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water and many dignitaries, HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer - MD and CEO of DEWA stressed that the Authority continues to build on its successes by winning consecutive awards, while bearing in mind the need for the continuous improvement of the services and performance of all operating facilities, and achieving excellence scientific methods and sound approaches in collaboration with Dubai eGovernment and as part of its the electronic services strategy aligned with Dubai Strategy 2015. We can witness the success of DEWA through the figures. Since the launch of the Save Your Time, Save Your Energy ePay campaign, in July 2009, electronic transactions increased by 42%, at a rate of 800 transactions per day. The registration increased by 54%, while collection rate increased by 57%, He added. DEWA also contributed via its electronic payment services in the protection of the environment, and succeeded in 2009 in preventing the emission of 1000 tons of carbon dioxide in one year, that is the equivalent of 5000 trees, or 10 football stadiums, he added. The epay campaign was a major success and we provide 11 free methods of electronic payment without any extra charges. The campaign knotted strategic partnerships with several agencies, such as the Dubai eGovernment, banks, and Etisalat. It included the usage of text messages and direct withdrawal from the bank accounts, and payments through the Drive Thru at the main DEWA’s branches” he explained. The campaign included prizes to encourage participants, such as a daily draw on a laptop, a car every 3 months, and tickets to attend the World Cup in soccer, Beach Soccer and the FIFA Club World Championship, HE concluded. The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority launched its website in 1998 and completed the electronic payment gateway in a short period of 6 months before the official date set by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, in 2001. DEWA is periodically and continuously developing its processes and services. The Authority is first government department to launch smart phones applications (iPhone and BlackBerry), and intends to launch services dedicated to the “iPad”, while achieve excellence and customers’ satisfaction.