DEWA honoured at House of Lords in UK Parliament

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), headed a delegation from DEWA to the House of Lords in the UK Parliament, following an invitation from Lord David Charles Evans, member of the House of Lords and Chairman of the Institute for Collaborative Working.

DEWA was honoured for its excellence in managing effective strategic collaborative relationships according to the highest international standards, and for becoming the first organisation in the Middle East and Africa to be awarded the ISO 44001 Collaborative Management Standard certification from the British Standards Institute (BSI). The event was also attended by HE Rawdha Al Otaiba, Deputy Head of Mission at the UAE Embassy in London, senior British officials, representatives of international companies, and officials from the Institute for Collaborative Working, and BSI.

Lord Evans welcomed Al Tayer and DEWA officials and accompanied them on a tour in the House of Lords. He said he was pleased to have the opportunity to present DEWA with their ISO 44001 BSI certificate at the House of Lords and congratulated them on this great achievement.

Al Tayer thanked Lord Evans for the warm welcome, and praised the Institute for Collaborative Working and BSI for developing global standards that aim to enhance the work environment in the public and private sectors.

“In line with the vision and directions of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, we are committed to establishing and sustaining constructive relations with all partners and stakeholders from the government and private sectors, both locally and globally.

This is achieved within a motivational environment that encourages cooperation and joint efforts, and is based on a strategic vision and long-term plans for the interests of all parties. We believe that concerted efforts are key to achieving success and excellence. Honouring DEWA at the UK’s House of Lords is a testimony of our adherence to international best practices in managing partnerships and our commitment to the sustainability of our relationships with all stakeholders. DEWA’s projects, especially in clean and renewable energy, receive great interest from major international companies. In recognition of its efforts to enhance the happiness of its stakeholders, DEWA came first in the Happiness Index in the large Dubai Government entities category, for the second consecutive year with a 95% happiness score, according to Smart Dubai’s Happiness Index. We will continue to innovate unique experiences and ideas that will enhance the happiness of all stakeholders, to contribute to achieving the vision of our wise leadership. This will support Dubai’s aim to become the smartest and happiest city in the world, and DEWA’s vision to become a globally leading sustainable innovative corporation,” said Al Tayer.

“It is a fantastic achievement for all at DEWA and achievements such as this do not happen without the clear Leadership as shown by Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer and his executive management team. To obtain this certification to this international standard ahead of all other organizations in the region and to be one of the very first organisations globally to achieve shows the commitment to innovation and value creation of DEWA for all its stakeholders,” said Frank Lee, Operations Delivery Director at BSI.

“BSI is proud to award DEWA with the ISO 44001 certification and to be a part of this significant occasion. Achieving this is a testament to DEWA’s dedication to innovate and embrace best practices within a rapidly evolving industry. This certification will support DEWA to ensure effective collaboration and most importantly, it will help build organisational resilience and continue to demonstrate leadership and innovation in the UAE and internationally,” said Theuns Kotzé, Managing Director of BSI Middle East and Africa.

DEWA was honoured during the Collaborative Working Awards 2019 in London as the first organisation in the Mena region to receive the ISO 44001 from BSI.

This is the first international standard to ensure collaborative relationships are effective and optimised. DEWA received the certificate after a thorough auditing process by BSI. Implementing these standards strengthens the organisation’s ability to manage projects and services more effectively and efficiently; defines the key roles and responsibilities to improve decision-making; and identifies and manages potential risks related to partnerships.