Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) | DEWA wins Global Business Continuity Award 2019

In recognition of its leadership in business continuity and corporate resilience, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) won the Global Business Continuity Award 2019 from Continuity, Insurance & Risk (CIR), the leading British magazine in this field. DEWA is the only utility in the world to win this prestigious award.

HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, commended DEWA on receiving the award, noting that it affirms its global leadership in business continuity, risk management, and corporate resilience in line with its vision to become a globally leading sustainable innovative corporation.

“At DEWA, we work in line with 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, to achieve excellence in all our work. DEWA has come a long way in terms of business continuity and organisational resilience, while it is committed to keeping pace with the rapid developments taking place in the modern business environment in the private and public sectors. We are committed to providing the necessary training for our staff in risk management and business continuity to enhance their capabilities to identify risks, develop proactive plans to prevent crises from happening or mitigate their effects if they happen. This ensures we are capable of providing electricity and water services to over 900,000 customers in Dubai according to the highest levels of efficiency, reliability, and quality. DEWA operates a rigorous risk management system, bolstering its resilience by anticipating risks and preparing for change. These efforts have contributed to achieving several world records, surpassing major international utilities. DEWA’s practices are benchmarks for utilities around the world. The UAE, represented by DEWA, has maintained the top ranking for the second year running for Getting Electricity in the World Bank’s Doing Business report 2019, with 100% in all criteria,” said Al Tayer.

Abdulrahman Abdulla Aljamea, Vice President of Corporate Risk and Security Governance at DEWA, received the award during a ceremony held at the Marriott hotel, London.

Khawla Al Mehairi, Executive Vice President of Strategy and Government Communications at DEWA, noted that DEWA has signed an agreement with the British Standards Institution (BSI) to develop the PAS 60518:2020 standard for risk management in the energy and utility sector. This is the first of its kind in the world and will be a global reference for the energy and utility sector. The new standard will be an important addition to efforts to set effective risk management standards, ensure business continuity, and handle emergencies with the highest levels of professionalism and efficiency.

DEWA is the Middle East's first organisation to implement the SAP Risk Management 10.1 and adopt best international practices based on the ISO 31000 certificate. DEWA also received the Business Continuity Management System (ISO 22301) for its integrated operations becoming the first utility in the MENA region to receive this certification.