Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) | MD & CEO of DEWA discusses enhancing cooperation and exchanging best practices with Singapore’s ambassador to the UAE

In a video conference, HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) discussed enhancing cooperation and exchanging best international practices and expertise, especially in clean energy, with HE Kamal R Vaswani, Ambassador of the Republic of Singapore to the UAE, and HE Low Pit Chen, Consul General of Singapore in Dubai and the Northern Emirates.

At the beginning of the meeting, Al Tayer welcomed Vaswani, wishing him success in his diplomatic mission in the UAE, and thanked him for this initiative to communicate during the current exceptional circumstances.

Al Tayer noted that DEWA has undertaken a set of precautionary measures to ensure the health and safety of its staff and customers. This is in line with Dubai Government’s efforts to provide the highest level of protection against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). DEWA has ensured the continuity of its delivery of electricity and water, according to the highest standards of availability, reliability, and efficiency. DEWA’s state-of-the-art digital infrastructure and the training programmes staff went through over the last few years to use technological tools and channels, has enabled it to implement working remotely system for 100% of employees whose jobs do not require their presence at DEWA’s power and water plants. Over 6,000 DEWA staff are currently working remotely.

Al Tayer talked about the precautionary measures that DEWA implements to combat the Coronavirus pandemic in order to protect the health and safety of society members including employees and customers.

“Thanks to the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, DEWA has become more robust and agile. Under the current exceptional conditions the world is witnessing, our top priority is to ensure the continuity of the electricity and water supply in Dubai. We will continue our smart investments while fully monitoring all developments during this period," said Al Tayer.

Al Tayer highlighted DEWA’s pioneering and innovative initiatives and projects that achieve the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The vision of His Highness is the roadmap for DEWA’s ambitious initiatives and developmental projects to promote sustainability and society happiness. This also achieve the aspirations of citizens and residents in Dubai, in light of DEWA’s vision to become a globally leading sustainable innovative corporation.

Al Tayer noted that DEWA has an installed capacity of 11,700MW of electricity and 470 MIG of desalinated water per day. DEWA works to achieve the goals of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 to provide 75% of Dubai's total power output from clean energy sources by 2050. To achieve this, DEWA has several green programmes and initiatives, including the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which is the largest single-site strategic renewable energy project in the world, based on the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model. The solar park will have a production capacity of 5,000MW by 2030.

Al Tayer noted that DEWA has attracted investments totaling around AED 40 billion through the IPP model, which strengthens public-private partnerships. Through this model, DEWA received the lowest global solar energy prices for five consecutive times, making Dubai a global benchmark for solar energy prices.

HE Kamal R Vaswani expressed his interest in cooperating with DEWA in its pioneering projects in clean and renewable energy and water. The Singaporean ambassador commended the bilateral relations between the UAE and Singapore as well as DEWA’s relentless efforts to achieve the sustainable development of Dubai. He emphasised the importance of exchanging best international experiences, expertise, and practices, noting that it’s important to increase the role of the private sector in renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.