Located within the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the Sustainability and Innovation Centre – an initiative of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) – serves as a global incubator for innovation in various fields of clean and renewable energy. As one of the most advanced platforms of its kind in the MENA region, the centre plays a critical role in advancing the green economy, net-zero and sustainability goals of Dubai and the UAE.
What distinguishes the centre is its multi-layered approach to sustainability delivery. The centre operates as a fully integrated service model bringing together interactive exhibitions, immersive educational experiences, accredited professional training and strategic innovation programmes under one ecosystem. It offers daily guided learning experiences to visitors of all ages, delivers certified technical training programmes in partnership with global institutions and hosts dedicated youth leadership initiatives. Its diverse portfolio of internationally accredited training programmes aims to enhance technical skills, leadership capabilities and strategic knowledge in clean and renewable energy, ESG practices and sustainability systems. These include the CleanTech Youth Programme, the CleanTech Connect programme, the CleanTech Hackathon, the Young Inspirers Contest and the CleanTech Innovators Exhibition.
The centre empowers professionals and specialists, enhances their skills and knowledge, and strengthens their leadership capabilities in sustainability and clean and renewable energy. The centre plays a key role in developing Emirati talent to actively contribute to efforts to shape the future of renewable energy. After completing the training and evaluation, participants receive a professional certificate.
These outcomes affirm the centre’s position as a regional leader in sustainability capacity building, climate education and innovation-driven collaboration. Unlike traditional awareness efforts or single-track training services, the centre offers a multi-dimensional sustainability experience that actively engages stakeholders at all levels – including students, professionals, entrepreneurs, policymakers and the general public. Its offerings are intentionally designed to align with both national strategies and goals such as the UAE's Net Zero 2050 Strategy and global frameworks like the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030.
Key Achievements:
Innovative exhibitions and experiences
The Sustainability and Innovation Centre includes a conference hall for events, meetings and training courses within its four-storey building, which has an area of 4,355 square metres and is about 88 metres high.
The centre provides visitors with a unique experience to explore the latest innovation in clean energy technologies, starting with the exhibition area on the first floor, which focuses on DEWA’s journey, as well as key historical inventions and innovations in electricity. The area includes over 35 interactive exhibits designed to introduce visitors to developments in clean and renewable energy. The site also houses the DEWA Museum, water desalination plants and a visual space that explains the properties of light and solar radiation. The centre features an exhibition on critical components of photovoltaic solar cells and related technologies, including the concentrated solar power (CSP) tower. It also showcases DEWA’s renewable energy journey, Smart DEWA, solar cell applications in spacecraft and satellites, and the development of DEWA’s sustainable buildings.
Visitors can watch innovative drone and hologram shows, and try out several interactive experiences, including the autonomous bus ride. Using metaverse technology, the centre provides a unique experience that allows visitors to go on a virtual tour of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site solar park in the world based on the independent power producer (IPP) model.
The Sustainability and Innovation Centre welcomes visitors from Saturday to Wednesday, from 9am to 4pm, and Thursdays from 9am to 12pm. The centre offers discounts on tickets for children and students, as well as free entrance for People of Determination. Tickets are available on http://www.mbrsic.ae or on the centre’s smart app (MBRSIC).
For more information, please visit the Sustainability and Innovation Centre website.