DEWA organises Excellence Conference to promote sustainable excellence among its staff and partners

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has organised Excellence Conference under the theme Sustainability of Excellence and Leadership. HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, HE Dr. Ahmed Al Nuseirat, Coordinator General of the Dubai Government Excellence Program, and a large number of DEWA staff and partners attended the conference. International experts in excellence shared their experiences at the conference, while a number of distinguished young people took part in a panel discussion at the conference.

In his keynote speech, Al Tayer noted that the Excellence Conference supports DEWA’s effort to institutionalise a culture of sustainable excellence.

“At DEWA, we are inspired by the wise words of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who once observed, “We look forward to excellence as a challenge rather than an achievement. Achievement is what we attain for future of our people; while the march of excellence continues and does not stop at any limits or borders.” At DEWA, excellence is a daily practice, implemented according to specific and well thought-out strategies and plans carried out by all staff, to achieve the vision of our wise leadership, and the happiness of our customers and society as a whole. DEWA provides world-class government services and adopts the best international practices. We adopt creativity and innovation in our daily operations to further develop our performance, efficiency, and services to the highest international standards,” said Al Tayer.

Al Tayer noted that DEWA was the first government department to implement the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to apply and implement the fourth generation of government excellence system, to improve government work on innovative standards based on the results that focus on excellence in government services across three main segments: achieving the vision, innovation, and enablers to achieve the highest standards of people's happiness. DEWA has included strategic objectives within its strategy map with a focus on envisioning the future, strategic innovation, and the happiness of stakeholders. This supports its efforts to achieve the National Agenda, while keeping up to date with the latest developments, allowing it to continuously develop our work systems, to meet the needs of the governments of the future.

“DEWA realises that excellence is one of the most important tools needed to transform into the government of the future. DEWA works to continue its journey of excellence and continuous achievements. This is evident in the achievement made every day and the awards it receives in all areas. One of DEWA’s most prominent achievements this year was its winning the most number of awards at the 19th Dubai Government Excellence Program, winning six of the Program’s awards. Applying organisational excellence is part of the sustainable excellence strategy, which shapes a roadmap for internal plans, initiatives, and programmes of organisational excellence. It ensures integration, communications, and benchmarking, to achieve leadership in international results, and the happiness of customers. DEWA’s strategy for 2021 is aligned with the UAE Vision 2021 and the Dubai Plan 2021, to ensure a brighter future for us and for generations to come. This supports our mission to ensure the happiness of all stakeholders, and support Dubai’s vision by providing electricity and water services that meet the highest standards of reliability, efficiency, and safety, in an environment that nurtures innovation with a competent workforce and effective partnerships; supporting resources sustainability,” said Al Tayer.

“As a result of implementing excellence systems and envisioning the future, DEWA has achieved international competitive results. Customer minutes lost per year reached 3.87 minutes, compared to 15 minutes recorded by leading utilities in the European Union and the USA. Losses in power transmission and distribution networks reached 3.3%, compared to 6-7% in Europe and the USA. Water network losses reached 8.26%, compared to 15% in North America and Europe. In 2015, we recorded a fuel consumption efficiency rate of 90%. The UAE, represented by DEWA, has been ranked 1st in the MENA region, and 4th globally for getting electricity, according to the World Bank’s Doing Business 2017 report, for the 4th consecutive year.”

“Financially, DEWA's total number of assets in conjunction with affiliated companies exceeds AED 127 billion. DEWA has positive credit ratings scored by Moody's, and Standard & Poor's (S&P). DEWA’s five-year investment strategy amounts to over AED 65 billion for major energy, water, and infrastructure projects.”

“As part of DEWA’s excellence in terms of strategy development, the development of its staff, and its success in making excellent international partnerships within a consistent organisational framework, DEWA is working to implement major projects that contribute to achieving sustainability and the directives of our wise leadership to increase the share of renewable energy sources.  DEWA is contributing to achieving the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, which shapes the energy sector in Dubai over the next three decades. The strategy aims to provide 7% of Dubai’s energy from clean energy sources by 2020. This target will increase to 25% by 2030, and to 75% by 2050. The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is the largest single-site solar plant in the world. It will produce 1,000 megawatts (MW) by 2020 and 5,000 MW by 2030. The project involves total investments worth AED50 billion. The Hassyan Clean Coal Power Plant is another pioneering project implemented by DEWA based on the Independent Power Producer model. With a production capacity of 2,400 MW for Project, will be operational by 2020,” added Al Tayer.

“The Excellence Conference is a major tool that supports sustainable excellence. We are confident that it will support DEWA’s efforts to instil and promote a culture of excellence in the UAE, while benefiting from the best international practices in this important strategic field. It will help in exchanging knowledge and expertise about the best international practices in excellence, which in turn, contributes to implementing the standards of corporate excellence across all operations and organisational levels, thus ensuring the prosperity and competitiveness of Dubai, and the UAE as a whole,” concluded Al Tayer.