Dubai Electricity and Water Authority's new headquarters, the Sail Building.

HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), recently welcomed a high-level delegation from the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) headed by HE Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA. During the meeting, HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer highlighted the features of DEWA’s new headquarters named Al-Sheraa, which is Arabic for sail. The new building will be the tallest, largest, and smartest net Zero Energy Building (ZEB) in the world. The Al-Sheraa building will have over a million square feet, over 200,000 square feet of land. It is being built in the heart of the Cultural Village in Al Jadaf.

The RTA delegation included Maitha bin Udai, CEO of the Traffic and Roads Agency, Ahmed Bahrozyan, CEO of the Licensing Agency, Adel Al Marzouqi, Director of Parking, Mendana Al Obaidly, Deputy Director and Manager of Technical Support, Office of the Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors, and Roudha Al Mehrizi, Deputy Director of Marketing and Corporate Communications and Manager of National Identity and CSR.

“We work to achieve the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make Dubai a global centre for clean energy and green economy. By building Al-Sheraa, we establish a role model in Dubai and the world to achieve a balance between development and the environment to protect the right of future generations to live in a clean, healthy and safe environment. This supports the UAE Vision 2021 to make the UAE one of the best countries in the world, and the Dubai Plan 2021, to make Dubai the preferred place to live, work, and visit,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.

“The total built-up area of Al-Sheraa will be over 1.5 million square feet. The building will have over 16,500 square metres of photovoltaic solar panels to produce over 3,500 kilowatt. There will be more than 2,000 square metres of Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV). Total renewable energy generated by the building will be over 5,400 megawatt hours (MW/h) annually. The building will have an Energy Utilization Intensity (EUI) of 60 kW/m2 per year. The building will be completed and inaugurated by the end of 2019,” added Al Tayer.

HE Mattar Al Tayer was impressed with the technical and architectural design of DEWA’s new headquarters, which will be a smart eco-friendly building that uses solar energy to meet the electricity needs of the building. HE Mattar Al Tayer was also impressed with the main and necessary equipment that meet the highest levels and provide a suitable environment for employees and customers.

Al-Sheraa’s design was inspired by the traditional houses in the UAE, where enclosed spaces overlook an open courtyard. The courtyard will be the focal point and most prominent feature of the building. To reduce heat in the open courtyard, a sail design is used to provide shaded areas. Natural light during the day will stream through specific openings in the sail, giving sufficient light without the associated heat. The courtyard features trees and plants to give occupants an outdoor feel in an indoor setting, within a sustainable environment.

The building will use the latest technologies including Internet of Things (IoT), Big and Open Data, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Robots will be used for cleaning and to provide security services. A smart app will alert the employees about the time they should leave their homes based on the traffic. The same app can be used to book parking spaces and meeting rooms. Visitors can use the app to reach the building and the meeting rooms easily.

The total energy used in the building during a year is equal to or less than the energy produced on site during that year. DEWA’s new headquarters is targeted to receive platinum rating by LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), where platinum is the highest certification. The building is targeted to use 50% less water than regular buildings. The green spaces will be almost 50% of the building’s area. To be Zero Energy Building (ZEB), employees will manage their energy consumption using a smart app that informs them of the amount of energy they use to assist them in improving energy budget management. Al-Sheraa will use state-of-the-art building management tools. It will feature a control centre which will allow essential systems to operate and shut down non-essential systems, including air conditioning and lighting.

DEWA’s new headquarters will be directly linked to Al Jadaf metro station by a bridge. This will promote the use of public transportation, to reduce traffic and the carbon footprint.