DEWA: More than three decades of leadership in building world-class sustainable infrastructure

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) continues to consolidate its position as a globally leading utility in developing energy and water infrastructure. Its integrated organisational journey, spanning more than three decades, represents a distinctive success story, evolving from a local utility provider into a global benchmark for sustainable growth, operational reliability and the adoption of advanced technologies.

DEWA was formed on 1 January 1992 by a decree issued by the late Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum to merge Dubai Electricity Company and Dubai Water Department, which had been operating independently since their establishment by the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum in 1959. This merger laid the foundation for a unified organisational model, enabling DEWA to enter a new phase defined by long-term strategic planning, institutional governance and the development of infrastructure capable of supporting Dubai’s future aspirations.

Today, in line with the vision and directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, DEWA continues to expand its production and technical capabilities to keep pace with Dubai’s rapid urban and economic growth. It has developed world-class facilities for power generation and water desalination that have achieved multiple Guinness World Records. These include the tallest concentrated solar power (CSP) tower at over 263 metres and the largest solar energy storage capacity in Phase IV of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, as well as the largest single-site natural gas power generation facility worldwide at the Jebel Ali Complex.

In line with its future-readiness strategy, DEWA’s installed generation capacity has reached approximately 18 gigawatts (GW), with plans to increase this to 23GW by 2030. This ensures that growing demand for energy is met. It also supports sustainable economic growth and reinforces Dubai’s competitiveness as a global hub for business and investment.

Investing in clean and renewable energy projects has been central to DEWA’s expansion strategy. This leadership is exemplified through the development of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, one of the largest single-site solar parks in the world, reflecting its commitment to innovative and sustainable solutions. Moreover, artificial intelligence (AI) plays a pivotal role in enhancing the efficiency of the solar park’s projects by optimising photovoltaic (PV) panel cleaning cycles, forecasting generation output and improving the integration of energy storage systems with the grid. The solar park’s current production capacity stands at 3,860 megawatts (MW).

DEWA has effectively managed the growing share of intermittent renewable energy sources in the energy mix through the deployment of effective energy storage solutions. These solutions include advances in battery storage, alongside technologies such as pumped-storage hydroelectric power and grid-scale energy storage, which play a crucial role in integrating renewable energy into the grid. DEWA has developed a comprehensive strategy centred on advanced energy storage projects at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, including molten salt thermal storage technologies in its CSP projects, which enable electricity generation at night, as well as the Hatta Pumped-Storage Hydroelectric Power Plant. DEWA has diversified its energy mix to include solar PV and thermal technologies, alongside the exploration of green hydrogen. These efforts support the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, which aims to achieve a 100% clean energy mix and achieve net zero by 2050. DEWA has increased clean energy’s share in Dubai’s energy mix to 21% and plans to lift this beyond 36% by 2030, as the solar park’s capacity surpasses 8,000MW, significantly exceeding the initial 5,000MW target.

DEWA’s integrated journey demonstrates that the infrastructure evolution has not merely been an expansion in capacity, but rather the development of an advanced model that combines strategic vision, operational efficiency and investment in innovation. DEWA is steadily progressing towards a brighter and more sustainable future, ensuring Dubai remains a leading global city in corporate excellence, quality of life and climate action.