In a spectacular display of its expanding international footprint, the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) is aggressively targeting worldwide expansion by forging new alliances with prominent financial and infrastructure investors. A high-level delegation, led by Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA and Chairman of DEWA International, recently traveled to London for high-stakes discussions. This strategic visit to London aims to reinforce Dubai‘s standing as a global capital for economy and innovation while deepening cooperation with global firms specializing in sustainable infrastructure.
Building Strategic Global Partnerships
The prominent delegation to the UK capital included Waleed bin Salman, Executive Vice President of Business Development and Excellence; Marwan bin Haidar, Executive Vice President of Innovation and the Future at DEWA; alongside various other senior officials from the Authority. During this critical visit, the delegation met with senior leadership from ING and Actis, both heavyweights in sustainable lending and infrastructure equity.
This engagement aligns perfectly with the overarching strategy of DEWA to strengthen global partnerships and facilitate the seamless transfer of Dubai‘s successful utility operating model to international markets. DEWA International was recently established precisely for this purpose. By leveraging its deep capabilities in project development, finance, digital innovation, and operations, the international arm plans to develop, finance, deliver, and operate massive power and water infrastructure projects around the world.
Leadership and Unprecedented Excellence
During the high-level meetings, Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer highlighted the robust framework of DEWA International. He emphasized how, guided by the visionary directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the emirate has truly transformed into a global capital for economy, trade, and innovation. It stands today as a pioneering model of sustainable development.
Reflecting on the organization’s historic performance and how it underpins this new international push, Al Tayer stated:
“Over the decades, DEWA has helped drive Dubai’s remarkable growth through both ambition and consistent, outstanding performance.”
Indeed, DEWA currently ranks first globally across 13 key performance indicators for utility service performance. The authority also proudly holds two leading regional positions in the critical areas of production, transmission and distribution, and customer service. Setting the gold standard for reliability, the authority holds a spectacular world record in electricity Customer Minutes Lost (CML), recording an astonishingly low 0.82 minutes (about 49 seconds) per year. Furthermore, DEWA achieved the world’s lowest electricity transmission and distribution network losses at just 2%. In comparison, water transmission and distribution losses stand at a remarkably low 4.4%, which is among the world’s lowest.
A Bold Transition to Clean Energy
Beyond exporting its utility expertise, DEWA remains deeply committed to advancing its renewable energy transition. Al Tayer reaffirmed that the authority continues to work aggressively toward the goals of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Strategy 2050. This is achieved by rapidly expanding its reliance on renewable and clean energy sources and improving both production and consumption efficiency.
Central to this monumental effort is the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. Developed under the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model, it stands as the world’s largest single-site solar park. The facility brilliantly combines photovoltaic and concentrated solar power technologies alongside massive energy storage and green hydrogen production capabilities.
Currently, clean energy makes up more than 21.5% of Dubai‘s energy mix. This share is expected to surge to 36% by 2030, a spectacular leap from the original target of 25%. The solar park’s production capacity is projected to exceed 8,000 MW by 2030, compared with an original target of 5,000 MW. This monumental increase is actively helping to cut annual carbon emissions by more than 8.5 million tonnes, completely surpassing the initial environmental goal of 6.5 million tonnes.
As DEWA International leverages its impressive domestic achievements and embarks on these new ventures from London to the rest of the world, Dubai‘s blueprint for a sustainable, hyper-efficient energy future continues to set a brilliant global standard. This visit undeniably reinforces the emirate’s commitment to spearheading global utility excellence.
