His Excellency Said Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council of Energy in Dubai, has affirmed that the emirate of Dubai today possesses, thanks to the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, one of the world's most powerful electricity and water infrastructures, with the highest levels of availability, reliability, and efficiency.
He noted that DEWA ranks first globally in 13 key performance indicators, most notably achieving the world's shortest electricity outage duration, averaging 49 seconds per customer per year, and the lowest transmission and distribution losses — 2% for electricity and 4.4% for water — reflecting an advanced and exceptional state of readiness of the emirate's infrastructure.
This came during a dialogue session organised by the Dubai Press Club as part of its 'Media Sessions' initiative, held in the presence of Her Excellency Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Vice President and Managing Director of Dubai Media Council and President of the Dubai Press Club. The discussion covered the dimensions of the strategic vision for energy and water sustainability in Dubai, the emirate's advanced infrastructure and high readiness to keep pace with growth and rapid change, as well as its innovation ecosystem and crisis management and business continuity framework that supports the efficiency of vital sectors and enhances Dubai's resilience, competitiveness, and global leadership.
On the subject of energy and water security, His Excellency Said Al Tayer stressed that energy and water security in the UAE is an integral part of national security. He indicated that Dubai's current electricity generation capacity stands at approximately 18,000 megawatts, drawing on a balanced mix of conventional and renewable and clean energy sources through the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park — the largest of its kind in the world — which employs advanced technologies including photovoltaic and concentrated solar power, batteries, and green hydrogen. The park's clean energy production capacity is scheduled to reach more than 8,000 megawatts by 2030. He also noted that the park has achieved 4 Guinness World Records: for the highest capacity concentrated solar power plant at a single site at 700 megawatts, the tallest concentrated solar power tower at over 263 metres, the largest thermal energy storage capacity of up to 15 hours, and the longest operating concentrated solar power plant.
On water supplies, His Excellency Said Al Tayer confirmed that DEWA employs the latest desalination technologies, including high-efficiency reverse osmosis, alongside a desalinated water aquifer storage and recovery project — the largest of its kind in the world with a storage capacity of 6 billion gallons, retrievable immediately in emergencies — as well as a water interconnection system with other emirates that allows for import and export as needed.
He affirmed the role of innovation and technology in enhancing readiness, through the use of artificial intelligence technologies and smart systems to predict crises and manage risks, underpinned by an advanced digital infrastructure.
His Excellency explained that DEWA was a pioneer in deploying artificial intelligence technologies from as early as 2017, working with numerous companies over three years — including Microsoft — to train the virtual employee 'Rammas', who operates around the clock to answer public enquiries. He noted that smart meters and systems linked to communications networks have enabled DEWA to monitor consumption, detect leaks or abnormal spikes, and send instant alerts to customers, adding that these technologies are an extension of DEWA's smart transformation journey. DEWA also launched the integrated solutions data centre 'Moro', under DEWA Digital, to enhance the utilisation of artificial intelligence and big data applications and to support the cybersecurity ecosystem.
His Excellency Said Mohammed Al Tayer concluded by affirming that Dubai guarantees the continuity of energy and water supplies at all times, even during crises and emergencies, through an integrated system built on proactive planning, smart operations, resilient and diversified infrastructure, strategic reserves, effective partnerships, and investment in people — making DEWA's services a world-leading model in reliability and sustainability, and reinforcing the emirate's standing as a city capable of confronting challenges and shaping the future with confidence.
Her Excellency Mona Ghanem Al Marri expressed her deep gratitude to His Excellency Said Mohammed Al Tayer for the information he shared during the session, which painted a comprehensive picture of a sector of the utmost importance — Dubai's energy sector. She said: "The electricity and water sector represents the lifeline upon which the journey of comprehensive and sustainable development rests; it is the foundation on which modern cities and thriving economies are built, and through which quality of life is determined. It is for this reason that sharing information about this vital sector with the media is of exceptional importance, as it promotes transparency, consolidates community awareness, and sheds light on achievements and future projects — reflecting the scale of efforts made to ensure the sustainability of resources and supporting the building of an informed partnership between institutions and society in achieving development targets."
She praised DEWA's role as a model national institution that contributes fundamentally to cementing Dubai's standing as a globally inspiring model in the production and use of clean and renewable energy, adding: "There is no doubt that informing the community about developments in this vital sector helps entrench a culture of responsible resource use and strengthens confidence in the plans and investments that ensure the sustainability, reliability, and continuity of electricity and water services. Effective media communication undoubtedly forms an important pillar supporting the development journey, by highlighting the qualitative achievements that contribute to building a more sustainable and prosperous future for coming generations."
For her part, Mariam Al Mulla, Director of the Dubai Press Club, affirmed that 'Media Sessions' is an initiative that stems from the club's commitment to opening spaces for direct dialogue with national leaders who contribute their expertise and insights to cementing Dubai's standing as a global model in planning for the future and managing vital sectors with efficiency, and to consolidating the foundations of sustainable development.
Mariam Al Mulla expressed her appreciation for the valuable information His Excellency shared during the session, which gave media representatives a complete picture of the comprehensive system Dubai has adopted to ensure energy and water security, enhance readiness, and maintain business continuity under all circumstances. She affirmed that these discussions contribute to raising awareness of the importance of preparedness for change and developing more flexible and sustainable working models, in support of institutions' ability to continue performing their roles efficiently.
It is worth noting that the 'Media Sessions' initiative forms part of the Dubai Press Club's efforts to strengthen communication between leaders and media representatives, and to provide an opportunity to learn about leading visions and experiences across various sectors — enriching media content and supporting the media's role in keeping pace with Dubai's rapid development and its growing global standing as a leading hub for shaping the future.