Dewa to provide new solutions to the challenges facing utilities

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) participated in the International Conference on IT Innovations and Knowledge Discovery (ITIKD) 2023, which was held in the Kingdom of Bahrain and organised by the College of Information Technology- Ahlia University, with the participation of several IT scientists, academics and specialists from around the world.

During the conference, Dewa’s Research and Development (R&D) Centre presented five research papers on investing in the Internet of Things (IoT) and Dewa’s Space-D Programme to provide innovative solutions to the challenges facing utilities around the world, and ways to harness the latest disruptive technologies and IT emerging trends to achieve the most significant return on investment and optimal use of available resources.

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dewa, expressed his pride at the role played by Emirati researchers at the R&D Centre to support global efforts for accelerating the transition to a competitive and sustainable economy that is based on knowledge and innovation.

Al Tayer noted that the participation of the Centre in international conferences highlights the ability of Emirati competencies to compete with global organisations. It also enhances the competitiveness of the UAE in scientific research.

“We work in accordance with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to support advanced and innovative scientific research aimed at achieving future plans and aspirations, the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050 to provide 100 per cent of Dubai’s total production capacity from clean energy sources by 2050.”

“We attach great importance to innovation, research and development, and investing in the latest global technologies to enhance the efficiency of the energy and water sector, and to consolidate Dewa’s position as one of the most prominent utilities around the world. We provide a positive work environment that stimulates innovation and creativity, and provide employees with the necessary tools that enable them to keep pace with the latest developments and rapid changes, to be effective partners in anticipating and shaping the future.”

“We are pleased that the researchers at the R&D Centre have utilised the advanced facilities that the Centre includes, most notably the Internet of Things laboratory; Robotics & Drone laboratory, which is the first 3D-printed laboratory in the world; and Dewa’s Ground Station, which is part of Dewa’s Space-D programme, to enrich the local and global scientific community and accelerate the transition to a green economy,” said Al Tayer.

“The R&D Centre hosts some of the best Emirati calibre, comprising 48 researchers, including 32 PhD and master degree holders.

The Emiratisation rate at the Centre has reached 69 per cent, while the percentage of Emirati female employees has reached 31 per cent, including some with high academic qualifications in the scientific and engineering fields.

Since its inception, the Centre has published 154 research papers at international scientific conferences and peer-reviewed journals and publications,” said Waleed Bin Salman, Executive Vice President of Business Development and Excellence at Dewa.

The research papers presented during the conference included ‘Dewa R&D Data Lake: Big Data Platform for Advanced Energy Data Analytics’; ‘IoT-based Test Facility for a Water Transmission Line with Leak Simulation’; ‘Hardware Doppler Shift Emulation and Compensation for LoRa LEO Satellite Communication’; ‘Machine Learning Schemes for Leak Detection in IoT-enabled Water Transmission System’; and ‘Design, Development, and Implementation of Internet-of-Things Enabled Laboratory’.

Meanwhile Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), has met with Dr. Christian Weedbrook, Founder and CEO of Xanadu, a leading Canadian quantum computing company and a portfolio company of Forward Investments, Dewa’s investment arm in disruptive technologies.

The meeting, which was held at Dewa’s head office last month, discussed the latest developments in quantum computing technology and its potential impact on the energy sector.

The two sides also discussed possible strategic cooperation between Dewa and Xanadu to develop and implement innovative solutions that improve the efficiency and reliability of energy systems.

During the meeting, Al Tayer highlighted the importance of quantum computing in addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges, such as climate change and energy sustainability.

He also highlighted Dewa’s efforts to provide the best global solutions, experiences and practices in line with its vision to be a globally leading sustainable innovative corporation committed to achieving Net-Zero by 2050.