Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) discussed cooperation in urban sustainability, smart technologies and innovative solutions with the delegation from the Seoul-based World Smart Sustainable Cities Organisation (WeGO). The groups discussed prospects for cooperation and exchange of experiences and best practices between the two organisations and discussed ways to achieve sustainable development goals.
The meeting was attended by Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, and Waleed Bin Salman, Executive Vice President of Business Development and Excellence at DEWA. Jung Sook Park, WeGO Secretary General, and Eunbyul Elena Cho, Head of the Program Department. The South Korean WeGo organisation includes 215 members from local governments, institutions, and corporations worldwide.
During the meeting, Al Tayer said, “The UAE’s wise leadership attaches great importance to environmental sustainability and enhancing the happiness and well-being of citizens, residents and visitors.” He stressed on the DEWA’s support for the Smart Dubai initiative launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE. To achieve this, the UAE has begun many pioneering renewable and clean energy projects, the smart grid, research and development, and others. This will help the country to become a globally leading sustainable innovative corporation committed to achieving Net-Zero by 2050.
Al Tayer informed that with the focus on smart cities, there will be an increased share of clean and renewable energy,enhancing energy efficiency and reducing environmental impact. He highlighted DEWA’s plans and projects to achieve the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050 to provide 100% of Dubai’s total power capacity from clean energy sources by 2050.
Al Tayer dwelled on DEWA’s smart grid and its role in supporting the smart city by managing facilities and services through interconnected systems that use the latest disruptive technologies of the industry 4.0 that includes artificial intelligence, blockchain, energy storage, the Internet of Things, and others.
The new technology, he said, has helped DEWA achieve competitive results in terms of efficiency and reliability. He emphasised on EV Green Charger initiative launched by DEWA in 2015 to encourage the use of electric vehicles. DEWA has installed more than 370 charging stations across Dubai, with plans to reach 1,000 stations by the end of 2025.
