Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director, and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, DEWA, received Abdullah Al Shaibani, Secretary-General of the Executive Council of Dubai, during UAE Innovation Week from 20th to 24th November, 2016.

The event coincides with the 2nd UAE Innovation Week, organised annually in support of the directives of Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to celebrate innovators in the UAE.

Al Tayer and Al Shaibani toured the activities at Innovation Week, which included the Future Hub, Future Dome, and Innovation Exhibition. The Future hub includes four major subjects, which are Green Planet, Immersive Experiences, Smart City, and Connected World. The Future Dome includes a series of inspiring lectures and talks on innovation. During Innovation Week, DEWA displayed models of future innovations in electricity and water. DEWA also organised the 6th Creativity and Innovation Conference on 24th November with participation by international experts in sustainability, renewable energy and water.

Al Tayer thanked Al Shaibani for his visit and his contribution to enhancing communication between DEWA and the Executive Council of Dubai. Al Shaibani commended DEWA’s Innovation Week, noting DEWA’s efforts to adopt a culture of innovation within its corporate values, and as a standard practice, to develop government services and increase the efficiency of government work.

Other activities of DEWA’s Innovation Week included a competition that encourages students to design, build, test, and race solar-powered remote-controlled cars. The competition promoted the Shams Dubai initiative and encourages learning about clean energy. This is done by engaging young people in an interactive manner, enhancing DEWA’s position as a forward-thinking supporter of innovation and sustainability.

The results of the Shams Dubai Solar Rollers will be announced in Q1 2017. DEWA announced the candidates to participate in the DEWA Future Utility Cup, which is the first global start-up competition of its kind. It is the result of a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, signed between DEWA and the global start-up incubator 1776, to accelerate innovation in energy. It tapped into 1776’s extensive network of over 3,000 start-ups that have participated in the 1776 Challenge Cup in 2015 and 2016.