DEWA’s 3rd Business Agility Forum gathers officials, global thought leaders and innovation experts

HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), inaugurated the third edition of the Business Agility Forum at the One&Only One Za'abeel Hotel in Dubai. The event, held under the theme ‘Shaping Dubai for Tomorrow’, brought together a wide range of officials and leaders from the public and private sectors, alongside experts in institutional innovation and enterprise agility.

Participants included HE Hessa bint Essa Buhumaid, Director General of the Community Development Authority; HE Abdulla Ali bin Zayed al-Falasi, Director General of the Dubai Government Human Resources Department; HE Saeed Mohamed Harib, Secretary General of the Dubai Sports Council; Dr Hazza Khalfan Al Nuaimi, Assistant Secretary General for Excellence and Government Services Sector at the Executive Council of Dubai; Saman Darkan, Chief Product & Technology Officer and co-founder of Kitopi; Mohammed AlShamsi, founder of RoboHiTec; Evan Leybourn, co-founder of the Business Agility Institute; Abdulaziz Al Nuaimi, Chief Security Officer at Huawei UAE; and Rony Sarkis, Senior Account Director at LinkedIn.

About 400 DEWA employees from across all divisions also participated. The forum formed a key part of DEWA's Business Agility Week initiative.

In his opening speech during the forum, Al Tayer highlighted that the forum supports DEWA’s commitment to fostering a culture of corporate agility, in line with the vision of the wise leadership, which views continuous development as essential to building the government of the future and advancing the UAE’s global leadership.

“Corporate agility and good governance are essential pillars, both strategically and operationally, to strengthen our ability to respond to rapid changes and transform challenges into opportunities. They also enhance operational efficiency, increase productivity, improve competitiveness and raise employee and customer happiness. Building a culture of agility requires us to anticipate the needs and expectations of employees and customers, enabling us to deliver seamless services and exceptional experiences that achieve the highest levels of happiness for all stakeholders,” said Al Tayer.

“Anticipating what people need before they even ask is the essence of corporate leadership. It reflects our ability to provide innovative and comprehensive solutions that not only meet but also exceed aspirations, thereby achieving sustainable excellence. According to Highspring’s 2025 Agility Index Report, companies with high agility are twice as likely to report revenue growth and four times more likely to align strategy across talent, technology and execution. An impressive 97% of high-agility organisations achieved positive revenue growth in the first quarter of 2025, compared to just 46% of low-agility organisations. This underscores that those who embrace agility secure both sustainability and excellence,” added Al Tayer

Al Tayer noted that DEWA’s resilient operating model is guided by clear strategies and an integrated, forward-looking vision to keep pace with rapid global changes. In 2011, DEWA transitioned from traditional power generation to clean solar photovoltaic plants through the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site solar park in the world. In its fourth phase, we introduced energy storage through concentrated solar power stations.

Since 2014, DEWA has led in project management based on the independent power producer model, having previously relied on the engineering, procurement and construction model. In terms of our business model, DEWA transformed in record time – just six months – from a government organisation to a publicly listed company on the Dubai Financial Market in April 2022, drawing overwhelming demand of USD 85 billion and achieving 37 times oversubscription. DEWA successfully overcame both the global financial crisis in 2008 and the Covid-19 crisis without any impact on the quality of services provided to customers in Dubai.

Al Tayer explained that DEWA operates a highly flexible system, supported by Agile Project Management teams trained to manage major projects such as the smart grid, artificial intelligence and the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. This model has enabled DEWA to responded swiftly and effectively to overcome the challenges caused by the unprecedented storm and rainfall in 2024.

These efforts culminated in 2024 when DEWA was recognised as the first energy utility worldwide in agility, according to a comprehensive assessment by the international Business Agility Institute. We also won the Agile Business Consortium Award in the Overall Business Agility category, becoming the first utility in the world to receive this recognition. DEWA was classified as the best government entity in Dubai in this field. Moreover, DEWA was benchmarked against 1,800 companies globally, reaffirming its position as a global leader in business agility.

“These achievements come at a time when the world is shifting towards a smart economy and automated, highly responsive supply chains. Corporate agility is no longer an option but a fundamental criterion for survival and success. Organisations capable of navigating crises are the most agile, innovative and adaptable. At DEWA, we view change as an opportunity for growth. We believe that agility is not merely about organisational frameworks or administrative structures, but about cultivating a comprehensive culture built on flexible thinking and swift decision-making,” added Al Tayer.

“Our approach in corporate agility is characterised by digital transformation powered by the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, particularly artificial intelligence. This empowers employees, fosters a culture of innovation and reinforces DEWA’s position as a smart and sustainable utility that aligns with Dubai’s ambitions. Investment in AI, cloud computing and Big Data analytics has enabled us to make faster, more accurate decisions that support Dubai’s journey towards global leadership,” concluded Al Tayer.

Best practices in business agility

The forum featured a panel discussion entitled ‘Corporate Agility: Integrating Roles in Serving the Government of Dubai’ in which HE Hessa bint Essa Buhumaid, HE Abdulla Ali bin Zayed al-Falasi and HE Saeed Mohamed Harib participated. The session was moderated by Dr Ali AlMuwaijei AlShamsi, Vice President of Governance, Compliance and Agility at DEWA.

HE Hessa bint Essa Buhumaid discussed the concept of enterprise agility as the basis for efficiency in serving customers, emphasising that the essence of government agility is designing resilient services that respond to the changing needs of individuals and society. She pointed out to the development of the Social Observatory in the Dubai Community Development Authority as a strategic tool for making decisions quickly and efficiently through a system that provides accurate and immediate information, which enhances organiational readiness through an agile work environment supported by artificial intelligence.

HE Abdulla Ali bin Zayed al-Falasi explained that corporate agility begins with people; it is based on empowering employees and giving them the flexibility to learn, develop and face new challenges with confidence. He also talked about the role of corporate agility in enabling remote work and Dubai achieving leadership in this field, emphasising the importance of harnessing AI within an agile infrastructure that enhances readiness for the future.

HE Saeed Mohamed Harib spoke about the effectiveness of corporate agility, explaining that sports teach us that agility is not an option, but a necessity to achieve victories. This principle also applies to business, as success cannot be achieved without flexibility and quick response.

The forum also included a presentation by Dr Hazza Khalfan Al Nuaimi, titled ‘Agility in the Dubai Government Excellence System’. He highlighted the key role of the Dubai Government Excellence Programme since its launch in 1997 in developing the capabilities and outcomes of government entities in various areas of government work, including agility. He outlined the main elements that distinguish Dubai’s integrated system, namely: readiness for innovation, rapid decision-making, risk management, integration of human, technical and physical resources, continuous monitoring, data analytics, excellence in transformation management, learning from experiences and lessons learned, and adopting future solutions. He emphasised the close connection between the success of an agile organisation and the provision of a work environment characterised by co-operation and readiness to keep pace with change and design future opportunities.

Waleed bin Salman, Executive Vice President of Business Development and Excellence at DEWA, emphasised that organising Business Agility Week for the third year in a row is part of DEWA’s efforts to establish resilient and results-oriented practices in the workplace. During the forum, DEWA launched an eight-month training programme in collaboration with the International Coaching Federation, which includes 11 teams from 11 departments in DEWA. The programme aims to qualify enterprise agility leaders and enhance their capabilities in organisational guidance and empowerment, thereby strengthening performance efficiency and innovation across the work environment.

Dr Ali AlMuwaijei AlShamsi emphasised that the Business Agility Forum is an intellectual platform that reflects Dubai's vision for future preparedness. He pointed out that corporate agility is a shared responsibility that must be embraced by every employee and leader in their work, team, and organization to build a more innovative and resilient government system.

Saman Darkan delivered a presentation on his journey in founding Kitopi and the key lessons learned along the way. He highlighted the company’s evolution from a single cloud kitchen in 2018 to the next-generation F&B ecosystem, now spanning more than 200 locations and 80 homegrown brands across the GCC, powered by cutting-edge smart systems and digital innovations. 

Mohammed AlShamsi gave a presentation on his vision for the pivotal role of robotics and automation in reshaping the business environment, highlighting how smart technologies contribute to increasing agility, enhancing efficiency, and accelerating the pace of adaptation and change.

In his presentation, Evan Leybourn, gave examples of leading global companies that were able to enhance organisational resilience. He emphasised that business agility is based on capabilities, behaviour, and work methods that give organisations freedom, flexibility, and the ability to adapt to the future. He also highlighted the growing role of AI as a tool to enhance human capabilities, not replace them.

Abdulaziz Al Nuaimi discussed the importance of integrating agility and cybersecurity, highlighting how to develop resilient risk management strategies that keep pace with the pace of innovation and digital transformation.

The forum concluded with a presentation by Rony Sarkis, who emphasised that agility is an option, but a necessity. Companies and governments that quickly adapt to changes and public expectations are not only keeping up but are also shaping the future.