Dewa and Shell explore ways to advance clean energy drive

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD&CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), welcomed a high-level delegation from Shell, led by Fakher Bader, Country Chair for Iraq and the UAE.

The delegation included Geraldine Wessing, Chief Political Analyst – Strategy Insights & Scenarios; and Hessa Abdulla, MENA Media Lead.

The meeting centered on Shell’s latest report, The 2025 Energy Security Scenarios: Energy and Artificial Intelligence, which explores how AI could reshape global energy systems through three distinct pathways: Archipelagos, Horizon, and Surge.

These scenarios are vital tools for strategic decision-making, helping stakeholders anticipate future challenges, assess risks, and identify opportunities in a rapidly evolving energy landscape. Discussions also highlighted opportunities for synergy in advancing a circular and green economy.

Al Tayer shared Dewa’s pioneering projects in clean energy, particularly the ongoing development of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the world’s largest single-site solar park based on the independent power producer (IPP) model. Its current capacity is 3,860 megawatts (MW), with a planned capacity of 7,260MW by 2030 (the original plan was 5,000 megawatts).

The 1,800MW sixth phase of the solar park uses the latest bifacial solar photovoltaic technologies with single-axis tracking. This phase, developed under the IPP model, will provide clean energy for approximately 540,000 residences and reduce around 2.36 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually.

Al Tayer also highlighted the Al Shera’a building, Dewa’s new headquarters, which will be the tallest and largest net-positive energy government building in the world. Al Shera’a is designed to achieve platinum certification in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and silver certification in the WELL Building Standard. The building will leverage advanced technologies including the Internet of Things (IoT), big data analytics and AI, alongside modern renewable energy solutions that ensure outstanding efficiency.

He also underlined Dewa’s remarkable achievements in adopting AI technologies. Dewa has launched a strategic roadmap to become the world’s first AI-native utility, integrating artificial intelligence across all core operations. This supports Dewa’s global leadership, ranking first worldwide in 12 key performance indicators in its areas of work. In 2024, Dewa recorded the world’s lowest electricity transmission and distribution network losses at 2%, compared to 6% to 7% in Europe and the USA. Water transmission and distribution losses were also the lowest globally, at 4.5%. Additionally, Dewa set a world record for the lowest customer minutes lost (CML), achieving 0.94 minutes per year, compared to an average of 15 minutes in the European Union.

Fakher Bader affirmed Shell’s commitment to supporting the UAE’s clean energy transition.

Separately, Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer received recently the certificate for the Energy Infrastructure Award, which Dewa won at the prestigious 2024 S&P Global Platts Energy Awards for the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.

Outperforming 1,000 leading companies that applied for this global honour, Dewa is the first utility in the Middle East and North Africa to receive this award.

The Platts Global Energy Awards, presented by S&P Global Commodity Insights, are a prestigious annual event recognising excellence in the energy industry. Often called the ‘Oscars of the energy industry,’ they acknowledge individuals and corporations for their achievements in innovation, leadership, and contributions to shaping the future of the energy sector.

The awards cover various categories, including sustainability, innovation, energy infrastructure, and technology, and have been presented since 1999, drawing participation from leading global energy companies and innovators.

Al Tayer said, “Guided by the vision of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Biin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, excellence has become a genuine and continuous approach in the UAE. Based on this proactive vision, and in line with the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050 to provide 100% of energy production capacity from clean sources by 2050, we look forward to broader horizons of leadership and innovation.

We continue to strengthen our preparedness for the future and advance the sustainability of our robust, integrated infrastructure – ensuring it can meet the ambitions of both current and future generations while keeping pace with Dubai’s flourishing urban and demographic growth.

Dewa) has won two Reuters Global Energy Transition Awards 2025, presented by Thomson Reuters, the international news agency.

WAM