Dubai, UAE: HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), inaugurated DEWA’s Future Next Conference, in conjunction with the 'UAE Innovates 2025', the 10th edition of the UAE’s innovation month. The conference, which was attended by a number of Executive Vice Presidents and Vice Presidents from DEWA, along with a large number of employees, featured keynote speeches and panel discussions featuring experts and specialists from various major international companies and organisations.

In his speech during the conference, Al Tayer noted that the UAE Innovates provides a platform to bring together public and private sector institutions in the country. He noted that the ‘Future Next Conference’ comes as part of DEWA’s efforts to support a culture of innovation among individuals and organisations, in line with the proactive vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who has transformed innovation from a theoretical concept to practical applications and daily practices. This transformation has contributed to enhancing the UAE’s competitiveness and global leadership, further augmenting quality of life through the active participation of government and private sector organisations, as well as members of society, in coming up with various innovative solutions.

“At DEWA, we provide a motivating environment for innovators and creative minds, in line with the National Strategy for Advanced Innovation, which focuses on exploration, future skills, quality of health and life, green energy, transport and measures to harness technology to serve humankind,” added Al Tayer.

“Innovation has always been a key pillar for us in achieving global competitiveness and enhancing sustainability as it contributes to improving operational efficiency, reducing waste, enhancing environmental sustainability and raising the happiness of customers and all stakeholders. To implement the directives of our wise leadership to make Dubai the world’s best city for quality of life, we continuously develop Dubai’s electricity and water infrastructure through innovation. This has led to DEWA achieving the top position globally in 12 key performance indicators in our areas of work, according to a study conducted by a specialised international consultant. Last year, DEWA achieved the lowest electricity customer minutes lost (CML) in the world, with Dubai recording just 0.94 minutes per customer, significantly lower than the 15-minute average of leading European utilities,” said Al Tayer.

Al Tayer noted that DEWA has developed the world’s first intelligent gas turbine controller, enabling real-time and autonomous control of all gas turbines at the Jebel Ali Power Generation and Water Desalination Complex. DEWA has also launched the world’s first intelligent plant controller for combined cycle plants, based on AI and machine learning, to improve operational efficiency and sustainability. DEWA has further adopted generative AI, including the Microsoft Power Platform and Microsoft 365 Copilot smart assistant, and has expanded the use of generative AI to include a wide range of vital areas, including ‘Rammas for You’ and ‘Rammas for Work’, information security, the SAP system, employees’ digital experience, DEWA’s Evaluation Centre, as well as human resources services, security policies, financial data, the customer eServices portal, IT Support Office services, governance and compliance procedures, future insights platforms, Power BI and LinkedIn Learning.

In the field of renewable energy, DEWA successfully raised the efficiency of photovoltaic panels through innovative techniques, including solar tracking using advanced algorithms and automated robot cleaning. By the end of January 2025, the share of clean energy in Dubai reached approximately 20% of the total energy mix. In line with global trends in decarbonisation, we continue to develop innovative projects in energy storage and green hydrogen.

DEWA’s efforts in innovation have resulted in several awards, including the ‘Innovative Power Technology of the Year – UAE’ accolade at the Asian Power Awards 2024 for the Actual Load Profiles Simulator for the Distribution Network, which enhances the efficiency of the electrical distribution network using AI and ground weather data. DEWA also received the ‘Smart Grid Project of the Year – UAE’ award for our pioneering initiatives in substation automation, which is a significant shift in the management of power grids, allowing us to restore power supply within one minute without the need for physical human intervention.

“Innovation is more than just a goal for us. It is a key pillar in our journey towards the future and the cornerstone of the development of our services and initiatives. We will continue to work based on an ambitious vision aimed at embedding innovation and state-of-the-art technologies to enhance the efficiency and reliability of our world-class infrastructure. We further aim to empower innovators and creative minds, solidifying an innovative environment that promotes sustainable development,” concluded Al Tayer.

At the end of the conference, Al Tayer honoured the speakers and participants of the conference, commending their efforts in supporting innovation at DEWA.

Keynote speeches and panel discussions

The ‘Future Next Conference’ featured a speech titled ‘Digitisation and 10X’ by Naim Yazbeck, General Manager of Microsoft UAE; a speech titled ‘Digital Transformation in Energy Systems’ by Dr Ralf Blumenthal, Vice President and Grid Software MD at Siemens; and a speech titled ‘SAP Artificial Intelligence Journey in Utilities’, delivered by Marwan Zeineddine, SAP Managing Director, UAE. The conference also included panel sessions on digitisation, AI and 10X, with the participation of DEWA employees and Digital DEWA subsidiaries.

Naim Yazbeck, General Manager of Microsoft UAE, said: "In today's digital landscape, AI and digitisation are essential for business success. At Microsoft, we are dedicated to empowering UAE organisations to leverage AI for innovation and efficiency. Our collaboration with DEWA highlights this commitment. By using AI solutions like the Rammas chatbot, DEWA has significantly improved customer engagement and operational efficiency, setting an important benchmark for the region. Their progressive approach and dedication to excellence are noteworthy.AI is not just shaping the future of business; it is transforming it. Microsoft is proud to partner with organisations like DEWA to drive this transformation, promoting a future characterised by innovation and resilience."

Dr Ralf Blumenthal, Vice President and Grid Software MD at Siemens, said: “Speed is at the core of the energy transition. Harvesting the benefits of data and AI needs us to act fast and now.”

Marwan Zeineddine, Managing Director of SAP UAE, said: “The UAE’s commitment to innovation is accelerating transformation across industries, with AI at the forefront. Collaboration between the public and private sectors is essential to unlocking the full potential of these advancements, and DEWA Innovation Day is a powerful platform to showcase how these partnerships are shaping the future of innovation in the UAE. At SAP, we are proud to collaborate with the public and private sectors to support innovation with SAP Business Data Cloud, which seamlessly integrates enterprise and industry data to fuel the next generation of Business AI. This is a new era of AI, where SAP-powered super agents provide end-to-end visibility, streamline processes, and close operational gaps.”

Innovations

On the sidelines of the ‘Future Next Conference’, Al Tayer reviewed some of DEWA’s innovations and the projects of DEWA Academy students. These included the world’s first Plant Intelligent Controller to enhance automation in asset management, improving efficiency in power generation and water desalination; the ‘Roll-in Roll-Out’ principle for pumps and demister pads to improve efficiency and reduce costs by accelerating the dewatering process from 2 days to 12 hours; the AC Power Strength Controller system, which precisely controls the amount of power supplied to a connected load, protecting it from excess voltage; the solar-powered seawater desalination system, a sustainable solution that converts seawater into freshwater through a multi-stage filtration and reverse-osmosis process; a remotely operated underwater vehicle for maintaining underground wiring systems, eliminating the need for human divers and enhancing safety and efficiency; the 3D printing solutions for efficient spare parts management, aimed at improving spare parts management by lowering costs, shortening lead times and reducing dependency on suppliers; the Alharis IoT-based project, which uses advanced sensor technologies to accurately detect tampering attempts while minimising false alarms; Microsoft Copilot AI, which integrates Microsoft’s generative AI chatbot into a wide range of key activities across DEWA; and the Sign Language to Text Translation Glove, a wearable assistive device that translates hand gestures into text, enabling more seamless interaction.