SEWA wins Asian Power Award for second year

The  Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority (SEWA) has won the Digital Transformation Power Utility of the Year – UAE award at the Asian Power Awards 2026 for the second consecutive year, recognising its ongoing efforts to advance digital services and enhance the customer experience.

The award was announced at a ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, following a competition among energy and utility organisations across Asia.

Since launching its digital transformation programme, SEWA has completed more than 735,000 transactions through its smart services up to August 2026.

Digital transformation accounts for approximately 95 percent of customer service management operations, while automation has reached nearly 90 percent in selected processes.

Dr Hussein Al Askari, Director-General of Customer Service at SEWA, said the achievement reflected the support of the authority’s senior management and the teams’ continued efforts to redesign customer journeys, making services easier, faster and more flexible.

He said SEWA’s strategy focuses on moving beyond transferring traditional procedures to digital channels and towards fully redesigning customer journeys in line with the UAE’s and Sharjah’s ambitions for digital government, artificial intelligence, simplified procedures and zero bureaucracy.

Among the key outcomes, eligible instalment applications that previously took up to 60 days can now be completed in one minute via an integrated digital system.

Digital integration with relevant government entities has also reduced the need for customers to resubmit information and documents already held by those authorities.

The expansion of digital channels has helped avoid more than 1.3 million in-person visits to service centres since August 2023. SEWA has also reduced its customer service centre network from nine to five locations as customers increasingly rely on smart services.

The authority continues to assess centre performance, customer demand and channel usage to inform future operational decisions and maintain convenient access to services.

 Its AI-powered virtual assistant, Naffaa, has recorded more than 250,000 interactions and generated over 35,000 service requests, alongside an approximately 30 percent reduction in contact centre demand.

The assistant allows customers to communicate in their preferred language and helps assess some cases before a formal service request is created.

Khaled Diab, Customer Service Management Operations Consultant at SEWA, said the strategy aimed to eliminate unnecessary procedures rather than digitise bureaucracy.

He added that the authority would continue to expand its use of AI, data, smart meters and automation to deliver more proactive, efficient and sustainable services.

The latest award adds to SEWA’s regional, continental and international recognition over the past two years for customer experience, digital transformation, artificial intelligence and innovation.

WAM