Dubai, UAE: Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA)’s Research and Development (R&D) Centre has organised a specialised seminar in the presence of HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA. The seminar, entitled ‘Optimisation of Building Design for GCC Region’, was held at DEWA Academy and was attended by a large number of DEWA officials and employees. It is a part of the Al Baheth programme, which was launched by the R&D Centre to develop and refine Emirati talents and competencies. The programme also encourages them to engage in research, competitions, events and training, organised by the Centre in collaboration with major international companies and a select group of researchers, academics and international speakers.

“We work according to the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make Dubai a smart and sustainable city and the best city to live in the world. We support the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050. This is through accelerating the shift towards Net Zero Energy Buildings and establishing a sustainable energy model that supports economic growth, without damaging the environment and its resources. DEWA is one of the first organisations in Dubai to adopt the concept of green buildings. In 2019, DEWA achieved a first by obtaining the platinum rating by LEED from the US Green Buildings Council (USGBC), becoming the first city in the Arab world and the Middle East and North Africa to get this prestigious certificate. DEWA currently has seven green buildings with LEED ratings. Our efforts helped to decrease net carbon emissions in Dubai by 19% during the year of 2022. DEWA promotes a culture of innovation, research and development to find pioneering solutions to the challenges in the energy, water, and infrastructure sectors,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.

“DEWA’s R&D Centre enhances the knowledge and experiences of experts, researchers, and nationals working at DEWA and the Centre. It engages local and international universities in R&D by sending the best technical candidates to work with DEWA’s researchers in different areas,” said Waleed Bin Salman, Executive Vice President of Business Development and Excellence at DEWA.

The seminar saw the participation of Professor Moncef Krarti, Director of Building Energy Smart Technologies Center, University of Colorado, USA, and Professor and Coordinator of Building Systems Program, Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering Department at the University of Colorado. During the seminar, Professor Krarti highlighted the historical and current trends in energy demand by the building sector in GCC countries, and the new concepts and specific technologies suitable to design sustainable, resilient, and smart buildings.

Professor Krarti noted that his detailed analysis indicated that all GCC countries have significant potential to improve the adoption of proven energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies through large-scale programmes for new and existing building stocks. These large-scale programmes can enhance the sustainability and resiliency of buildings, especially during extreme climate events. Implementing large-scale programmes can create significant high-skilled jobs and reduce carbon emissions for the GCC region. 

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For more information, please contact:

Shaikha Almheiri / Mohammad Almheiri / Ribal Dayekh
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority
shaikha.almheiri@dewa.gov.ae / Mohammad.almheiri@dewa.gov.ae / Ribal.Dayekh@dewa.gov.ae  

Afaf Abaza / Mohammed Meshal
Hattlan Media
afaf@hattlan.com / mohammed@hattlan.com

For more information, please visit DEWA’s website www.dewa.gov.ae

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