DEWA supports push to build an inclusive society that meets the ambitions of People of Determination

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) made significant strides in 2024 in its relentless push to support a more inclusive society that empowers People of Determination, helping them to achieve their aspirations. Through cutting-edge initiatives, smart technologies and enhanced accessibility, DEWA bolstered its commitment to helping People of Determination unleash their untapped potential, enabling them to fully participate in and contribute to national goals.

DEWA remains keen to invest in innovative practices and advanced technologies that enhance the quality of life for People of Determination. Through infrastructure upgrades, enhanced digital accessibility, more inclusive policies and employee support programmes, DEWA has stepped up its campaign to provide People of Determination with opportunities, experiences and services aligned with Dubai's steadfast pursuit of a more accessible, equitable and sustainable future where everyone thrives.

“We are dedicated to adhering to the directives of our wise leadership and supporting the Dubai Social Agenda 33. Our goal is to ensure that all segments of society have equal opportunities in every aspect of life. We are keen to ensure the right of People of Determination to access all services, facilities and information, and to actively participate in the process of development and prosperity. As a culmination of its efforts to enhance its qualified, inclusive and flexible environment, DEWA has achieved distinguished results and accomplishments by providing outstanding services in accordance with the highest international standards that have contributed to empowering and including People of Determination into their communities,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.

“In 2024, for the fifth consecutive year, DEWA achieved all strategic indicators covering the inclusion and empowerment of People of Determination. These encompass the happiness of Employees of Determination (EOD) and how satisfied their families are with the safe and inclusive work environment at DEWA, and the equal job opportunities it offers. The happiness of Employees of Determination reached 100% for the third consecutive year while that of their families reached 98.07%. Community satisfaction with DEWA’s support for People of Determination stood at 94.68% while Customers of Determination expressed a 97.64% level of happiness with DEWA’s services. DEWA won the Best People-of-Determination-Friendly Government Entity award at the Dubai Government Excellence Programme (DGEP) 2024. DEWA also received the 'Accessible UNI' Golden Certificate from Dubai Municipality for 10 of its buildings that have been evaluated so far,” added Al Tayer.

Dr. Yousef Al Akraf, Executive Vice President of Business Support and Human Resources at DEWA said: “We invest the latest technologies and provide all needed support to provide outstanding services, according to the best international practices, to empower and include People of Determination at work and community.”

Accessibility

DEWA is committed to providing inclusive facilities, information and services for People of Determination, ensuring their access to all its facilities, information and services. DEWA has made exceptional achievements in compliance with government standards related to the accessibility of its website and smart app to People of Determination. DEWA’s smart app scored 10/10 for the fifth consecutive year while its website scored 100% for the fourth consecutive year, according to the 2024 POD Accessibility Evaluation Report by the Digital Dubai Authority.

Capacity building

DEWA Employees of Determination received all their training needs, and 100% of the facilitations required for their actual needs in the work environment were met. All of DEWA’s inclusive human resources policies and procedures were reviewed and updated in line with local and international best practices. DEWA also worked to fulfil government requirements in inclusive education at DEWA Academy, including implementing a series of interactive workshops for the academy’s employees on inclusive educational practices, child protection and safety. DEWA has developed its capabilities as an inclusive institution that provides a safe work environment for all. It had 11,358 employees trained for such a purpose by the end of 2024. DEWA trained 418 employees on the use of evacuation chairs and 762 employees were trained on emergency evacuation procedures in 27 evacuation drills conducted between 2020 and 2024.

Social partnerships and initiatives

Between 2015 and 2024, the number of programmes and initiatives implemented and sponsored by DEWA in the field of including and empowering People of Determination in society reached 107, including 12 initiatives in 2024. DEWA has contributed to training several of its subsidiaries’ employees in dealing with People of Determination, in addition to organising awareness workshops for suppliers to motivate them in including and empowering People of Determination. DEWA implemented a communication plan with partners concerned with implementing community initiatives supporting People of Determination in several areas, including community awareness campaigns, sponsorship of rehabilitation services, volunteer programmes and sports activities.

Innovative digital solutions

DEWA has added a digital sign language interpreter powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the accessibility of information and translate its webpage content into sign language for People of Determination with hearing disabilities. This feature is available on DEWA’s website 24/7. DEWA also provides smart eyeglasses developed by DEWA Academy students to help People of Determination with visual impairment listen to any text they want to read in Arabic and English, improving their quality of life and helping them to become more independent.

Participating in exhibitions

As a strategic partner of the AccessAbilities Expo for many years, DEWA presented a pioneering and innovative institutional success story in the field of including and empowering People of Determination during its participation in the sixth AccessAbilities Expo 2024. This story was an inspiration and motivation for other participating entities and visitors to the exhibition, in addition to showcasing DEWA’s most prominent digital services that qualify People of Determination on an equal basis with others in society.

DEWA also participated in the 23rd Ru’ya Careers UAE fair, the leading recruitment, skills development, and networking platform for young Emiratis. DEWA’s stand at the 2024 event was fully accessible to People of Determination. It showcased its efforts to attract, evaluate and employ People of Determination.