DEWA Italy Renewables Collaboration

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), met an Italian parliamentary delegation led by Jacopo Morrone, President of the Italian Parliamentary Bicameral Ecomafia Commission on Climate and Environment, to discuss expanding cooperation in renewable energy, advanced technologies and climate action, with a focus on sustainable development goals shared by the UAE and Italy.

During the talks, both sides examined ways to support the global shift to clean energy and reduce climate impacts. They discussed policies that back sustainable development, and explored specific opportunities for joint work in sustainability, innovation, and circular economy projects, particularly in renewable and clean energy technologies linked to national strategies in both countries.

Al Tayer praised the strong and long-standing relations between the UAE and Italy, stressing DEWA’s interest in close collaboration with Italian companies and international partners. The discussion highlighted the importance of knowledge exchange, adoption of best practices, and development of advanced technological solutions in sustainability, clean energy and the circular economy to address climate change more effectively.

Al Tayer outlined how DEWA’s main programmes support the vision of the wise leadership to embed sustainability across Dubai’s economy and speed up the move to a green economy. These efforts are aligned with the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050, which target 100% clean energy production capacity in the emirate by 2050.

DEWA’s use of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies formed a key part of the briefing. Al Tayer explained that DEWA integrates artificial intelligence across services and operations, supported by substantial investments in advanced digital infrastructure. This approach aims to increase efficiency, improve service reliability, and enhance the ability to anticipate and manage future challenges within the energy and water sectors.

The delegation received a detailed presentation on the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which currently provides 3,860MW and represents 21.5% of Dubai’s total energy mix. Plans call for capacity to exceed 8,000MW by 2030, up from an original 5,000MW target, raising clean energy’s share to 36.1%, instead of the earlier 25% goal.

Al Tayer explained that this solar park expansion is expected to cut more than 8.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions each year, compared with the initial projection of 6.5 million tonnes. The delegation also learned about the different phases of the project, its use of photovoltaic and concentrated solar power technologies, and its growing role in supporting emission reduction targets.

Renewable energy and clean energy leadership and future technologies

Another focus was DEWA’s new headquarters, Al Shera’a, described as set to become the world’s tallest, largest and smartest net-positive government building. The design aims for LEED Platinum certification and WELL Gold certification for green buildings, and will use technologies such as the Internet of Things, big and open data, and artificial intelligence in its operations.

Al Tayer also highlighted the 250MW hydroelectric power plant in Hatta, the first project of its kind in the GCC. In addition, Al Tayer mentioned the Green Hydrogen project, which is the first of its type in the region. Both initiatives contribute to clean energy diversification, storage capabilities and support the wider decarbonisation objectives of Dubai and the UAE.

DEWA’s international performance was another key topic. Al Tayer stated that DEWA maintains global leadership by constantly benchmarking against international best practices and standards. DEWA ranks first worldwide in 13 key performance indicators, including lowest electricity customer minutes lost, lowest transmission and distribution losses, highest customer satisfaction levels, and strong organisational readiness to anticipate future needs and risks.

The meeting included senior DEWA officials, among them Waleed bin Salman, Executive Vice President of Business Development and Excellence, Marwan Bin Haidar, Executive Vice President of Innovation and the Future, and Dr. Yousef Al Akraf, Executive Vice President of Business Support and Human Resources, reflecting the broad scope of cooperation areas discussed with the Italian parliamentary delegation.

With inputs from WAM