Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) | DEWA organises Youth Circle entitled ‘Zayed's approach in supporting people of determination'

HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) opened a Youth Circle today, under the title ‘Zayed's approach in supporting people of determination’. The Youth Circle, which is organised by DEWA, aims to establish a direct connection between DEWA and the youth, as well as people of determination, and recognise the role of the late Sheikh Zayed in establishing the UAE’s humanitarian journey and supporting people of determination. The Youth Circle was held at the Youth Centre in Emirates Towers, in Dubai.

It focused on three main topics: The late Sheikh Zayed’s support to people of determination, ‘My City… A Community for Everyone’, an initiative by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai, and DEWA’s strategy to integrate and empower people of determination, and its main challenges. The Youth Circle was attended by Dr Yousef Al Akraf, Executive Vice President of Business Support and Human Resources; Khawla Al Mehairi, Executive Vice President of Strategy & Government Communication, as well as DEWA employees, and people of determination from DEWA and other government organisations and entities.

“It is my pleasure to welcome you: especially DEWA’s youth employees, guests from government entities, and people of determination, to this Youth Circle organised by DEWA, specifically for our youth.  Our wise leadership gives great attention to the youth, and this has become a distinctive feature of our country and a cornerstone of our leadership’s vision. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, gave his directives to organise Youth Circles to promote sustainable communication with the youth, review best practices, and discuss the most important youth-related issues and their aspirations. This will help all of us to come up with practical solutions, innovative ideas and effective policies that will contribute to the growth and prosperity of the UAE. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum once said, ‘Our vision for the UAE’s future and leading the world’s countries across various fields necessitate giving youth exceptional opportunities to lead their country’s progress towards the future so that they can assume their responsibilities in accomplishing the end goals of the UAE Centennial Plan 2071,’ ” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.

“Today’s Youth Circle is held under the title ‘Zayed's approach in supporting people of determination’, in commemoration of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. It is in recognition of the role of the late Sheikh Zayed in establishing the UAE’s humanitarian journey and supporting people of determination. The UAE has enhanced its efforts to provide services and guidance for them, as it recognises their important role in society and its development. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, launched the National Policy to Empower People of Determination, to create an inclusive society that ensures empowerment and a decent life for people of determination and their families. His Highness announced the use of the title ‘People of Determination’, instead of people with disabilities, as well as the establishment of the Advisory Council for People of Determination. We, at DEWA, seek to support the initiatives and directives of the UAE’s wise leadership by empowering people of determination, and getting them involved in their social environment as individuals capable of production and creativity. We also work to support the ‘My Community, a City for Everyone’ initiative, to transform Dubai into a friendly city for people of determination, through adopting policies and innovating services that guarantee them a decent life,” added Al Tayer.

“In line with DEWA’s commitment to social responsibility and the Year of Giving initiative, and as part of its efforts to empower people of determination through effective initiatives and programmes, His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Higher Committee for the Protection of the Rights of People of Determination, opened DEWA’s Innovation Centre at the premises of the Dubai Rehabilitation Centre for Disabled in Al Qusais. DEWA works to provide better services to people of determination, based on clearly-defined strategies that are aligned to best international practices and standards. We have developed clear policies and procedures in the field of customer service for people of determination. We have launched several initiatives to support them. DEWA is the first government organisation in the UAE to launch the Ash’ir service, which provides video calling using sign language to communicate with DEWA’s call centre staff. We have also made changes to our website and smart app, to suit the needs of people of determination, as they are an integral part of our society. DEWA also launched the Absher initiative, which includes a dedicated team of specialists and qualified staff in human resources, in addition to a hotline, to meet their needs. In addition, DEWA launched the ‘Omniyati initiative,’ to grant the wishes of DEWA’s people of determination, whose conditions may have prevented them from achieving their wishes. DEWA’s Sanad card provides several services to people of determination. The Sanad card offers benefits, such as wheelchair services and the Maraheb service, and other services and features that DEWA observes in the design of its buildings to provide a seamless and friendly experience for people of determination,” continued Al Tayer.

Al Tayer concluded that he is confident that today's youth circle, adopted by DEWA’s Youth Council, will have a great impact on enhancing their role and participation in supporting the vision of the wise leadership to anticipate the future, and achieving DEWA’s vision to become a sustainable innovative world-class utility.