Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), has inaugurated the DEWA Disruptive Lab (DDL) at Al Hudaiba building, which will serve as a hub to implement the Innovation and Future Shaping Framework.

The move is in accordance with DEWA’s updated Innovation and Future Shaping Framework inspired by the words of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, “The future belongs to those who can imagine it, design it, and execute it.”

Al Tayer was accompanied by Marwan bin Haidar, Executive Vice President of Innovation and the Future at DEWA; and Dr. Ali Al Suwaidi, Chief Innovation Officer at DEWA.

The DDL will drive DEWA’s services growth, enhance customer experience, develop new skills and foster Emirati competencies. This is by anticipating and shaping the future, providing the best global solutions, experiences and practices especially in innovation and Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies.

The DDL will enhance innovation through ‘DEWAVerse’ platform, which DEWA launched in October 2022 to implement and develop its current and future projects, becoming one of the first local government organisations to launch its platform on the Metaverse.

Al Tayer commented, “We work to achieve the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to provide seamless, proactive, integrated, and specialised services that meet customer expectations. We use the latest technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Artificial Intelligence tools, to enrich the customer experience and provide an unconventional model of added-value digital services.

“In line with DEWA’s vision to become a globally leading sustainable innovative corporation committed to achieving Net-Zero by 2050, we spare no effort to enhance our capacity and preparedness through proactive ideas and innovations based on advanced technology solutions, keeping pace with challenges and rapid changes.”

Marwan bin Haidar said, “The DDL uses rapid prototyping technologies such as 3D printing, UV and robotics, as well as manufacturing tools and equipment to build innovative concepts. The laboratory provides a collaborative space for our engineers and innovators to work together on testing emerging technologies.

“It also plays a fundamental role in strengthening DEWA’s partnerships and cooperation with institutions and experts in the field of sharing information and resources. This makes it an ideal platform for developing experiences. The DDL supports DEWA’s current and future directions to enhance its technical leadership and its continuous journey to develop its solutions and tools, to keep pace with the rapid development of Dubai and meet the requirements of all its residents,” he said.

The DDL hosts virtual and physical workshops and brainstorming sessions on the DEWAverse platform, to generate new ideas and prototypes. It also explores new technologies and tools that can be employed to improve prototyping building. Moreover, the lab uses concept design methodologies to help business teams identify business requirements and challenges and develop innovative solutions. It also invests in Computer-Aided-Design (CAD) software to create digital models and simulations that can be used for testing and validation.