DEWA Organises 3rd Creativity and Innovation Conference

In the presence of HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), HE Abdulla Al Karam, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), key decision-makers and senior managers from government entities, private organisations, and experts, DEWA organised the third ‘Creativity and Innovation’ conference in line with DEWA’s commitment to support creative ideas and innovative projects that help provide best services as per the highest international standards in all areas of its work. The conference addressed ways to develop creativity, innovation, and active participation, as well as steps to implement new ideas that will contribute to improving operations, problem solving, encouraging employees, motivating them, and achieving customer satisfaction. “At DEWA, we work to implement the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, aimed at improving government performance through the application of best practices. Our goal is to achieve organisational excellence in providing services to customers according to the highest quality standards, supporting Dubai’s position as a global hub for finance, business, and tourism. DEWA adopts an integrated strategy to implement creative ideas based on leadership and innovation to enhance its vision of becoming a world-class sustainable utility, where leadership plays an important role in supporting excellence in DEWA,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA. “This conference aims to improve and develop the skills of participants through the presentation of teamwork mechanisms to improve and develop the standards of management excellence. This will be led by the application of innovative ideas and promoting collective performance as well as keeping up with the latest international developments. This is part of our efforts to implement the strategy of the Emirate of Dubai and to ensure the application of the highest international standards, provide better services, and keep up with the latest developments in all areas of our work,” added Al Tayer. “Thanks to these procedures DEWA has achieved very competitive results surpassing the private sector, and even leading European and American companies in efficiency and reliability. This is demonstrated by our reduction of losses in electricity transmission and distribution networks to just 3.49%, compared to 6-7% in Europe and the US. In addition DEWA reported 5.77 minutes of services lost per customer per year compared to an average of 16.4 minutes recorded by counterparts worldwide, while increasing efficiency at the same time by 20% from 2006 to 2011. All this contributed to the UAE being ranked First in the MENA and as the 4th country in the world in terms of ease of access to energy according the World Bank report 2014.DEWA adopts this strategy of innovation as a platform of action across all strategic planning processes, and we are keen to take advantage of a range of information, ideas, and creative suggestions during the strategic planning of its initiatives, studies, analysis, internal and external practices,” concluded Al Tayer. “To implement this, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park – the most remarkable project in the region. This Solar park aims to build up an environment that supports the growth of green economy as part of the UAE Vision 2021 as our country seeks to build up a diversified economy based on knowledge and innovation and to provide job opportunities for UAE nationals in all fields. This will help conserve natural resources, preserve the environment, and promote competitiveness in all global markets, especially in the fields of renewable energy, technologies, and products to enhance our march towards green economy. Innovation and Research Centre was established in Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park with the purpose of developing renewable energy, energy efficiency, technologies, practices in the fields of science and engineering, transferring knowledge, innovations and education in the field of renewable energy, promoting sustainability, conserving natural resources, using renewable energy sources to generate electricity to support energy diversification strategy and contribute to improving technologies applied to generate electricity from the sun. This centre aims also to raise awareness about climate change and sustainable energy, as well as encouraging national research to include universities and colleges in the field of renewable energy,” “Innovation is the basic foundation of what we do on a daily basis. We always seek best results through best processes and practices, and our day to day operations are based on a large base of information and knowledge to help us improve our procedures, services, efficiency, and reliability,” added Al Tayer. “DEWA implements the strategy of creativity and innovation in the technical resources. In line with the directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, DEWA has adopts an action plan aiming to transform into a smart government, establish an efficient e-infrastructure, provide the best innovative government services around the clock through simple and easy procedures at the highest levels of efficiency and transparency to meet customers’ requirements and expectations to ensure a high-quality life to all the UAE nationals and residents as well. In recognition of its innovative efforts in this field, DEWA won ‘The Best Smart-Phone Government Service’ in Hamdan bin Mohammed Smart Government Programme Award, and also got first place in the category of ‘The Best Government e-Portal’ and ‘The Best Smart-Phone Application’ in ‘The 3rd GCC eGovernment Award, Conference and Exhibition’ organized in Dubai under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai,” said Al Tayer. “This conference aims to improve and develop the skills of participants through the presentation of teamwork mechanisms to improve and develop the standards of management excellence. This will be led by the application of innovative ideas and promoting collective performance as well as keeping up with the latest international developments. This is part of our efforts to implement the strategy of the Emirate of Dubai and to ensure the application of the highest international standards, and provide better services, and keep up with the latest developments in all areas of our work. I hope that we all benefit from today's topics at this conference in order to achieve our goals in the field of innovation and creativity,” concluded HE Al Tayer. “DEWA is keen every year to host international speakers in the conference within the sessions and lectures that address the importance of creativity and innovation in corporates as well as the methods to develop creative and innovative capabilities, effective participation, suggesting and implementing new ideas that can improve operations, solve problems and ensure continuity of employees and encourage them, to take decisions, conserve resources, achieve customer satisfaction, in addition to honoring best practices related to creativity and innovation,” said Dr. Yousuf Al Akraf, EVP-Business Support and Human Resources at DEWA. “The conference hosts this year Tim Wade, the global expert in corporate leadership, who will inaugurate the first session, entitled ‘Innovation, Change and Mindset of Victory’, and Arthur Carmazzi, founder of Directive Communication Methodology in the second session entitled ‘The innovative Coloured Brain-Creating the Culture of Innovation using Coloured Brain of Communication’. DEWA also invited different government organizations and authorities to participate in the conference, and the invitation was widely welcomed,” added Dr. Al Akraf. The conference included a number of seminars, and discussion panels to discuss the importance of creativity and innovation in corporate performance. Several decision-makers and experts presented lectures on customer service, management, corporate structure, and ways to encourage innovation.