His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Supreme Council of Energy in Dubai, emphasized during the opening of the 27th Water, Energy, and Environment Technology Exhibition (WETEX), organized by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), that under the vision and guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Dubai continues to strengthen its leading position in driving the global transition to a green economy.
Sheikh Ahmed stated, “Dubai has become a strategic hub for hosting and organizing large global events, especially in sustainability, innovation, and fostering partnerships between public and private sectors, as well as attracting investments.”
WETEX plays a crucial role by offering innovative solutions in energy, water, environment, and technology, supporting the UAE’s efforts to meet the ambitious goals of the strategic initiative for climate neutrality by 2050, aligning with the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and Dubai’s Carbon Neutrality Strategy 2050.
The exhibition, which began 27 years ago, highlights Dubai’s significant role in developing solutions to global climate challenges and its position as a leader in creating innovative business models that contribute to balancing sustainable economic growth with the preservation of natural resources.
Sheikh Ahmed added on his platform, “I inaugurated the 27th edition of the Water, Energy, and Environment Technology Exhibition (WETEX) 2025. Since its inception in 1999, WETEX has established itself as a premier global platform showcasing the latest innovations in energy, water, and sustainability, bringing together international expertise and pioneering technologies under one roof annually,” affirming Dubai’s role in leading sustainability and shaping a brighter future for the world.
The exhibition will take place from September 30 to October 2, 2025, at the Dubai World Trade Centre, featuring the participation of over 3,100 companies from 65 countries.
Welcoming His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum was His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director and CEO of DEWA, the founder and chairman of WETEX, alongside Majid Hamad Al Shamsi, Chairman of DEWA, and several senior officials.
His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer expressed, “WETEX, organized under the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, is a leading platform that combines innovation, collaboration, and investment, allowing local and global companies to present their latest technologies and innovative solutions in renewable and clean energy, water, environment, sustainability, and more.”
This platform facilitates strategic partnerships, exploration of investment opportunities in these sectors, and the exchange of expertise and best practices with elite specialists and decision-makers to accelerate sustainable development in the region and globally. The exhibition will also feature a comprehensive program of specialized seminars and discussion sessions with participation from top experts and executives from major local and international companies.
Sheikh Ahmed toured the exhibition, exploring the latest innovative solutions in clean and renewable energy, water management, sustainability, artificial intelligence, digital transformation tools, and fourth industrial revolution applications.
He visited several international pavilions and observed notable innovations displayed by participants, including Masdar, the Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai, Dubai Municipality, ENOC, ACWA Power, Omnia, DAMAC, Bin Gathi, Siemens, DANA, and others.
Other exhibitors include companies such as Sontec, Riyadh Cables Group, Taqa, Gulf Eternit, Empower, Dragon Oil, the Al Serkal Group, the Al Ghurair Group, and Emirates Water and Electricity, among many regional and international institutions.
DEWA Platform
At the DEWA platform, Sheikh Ahmed listened to His Excellency Saeed Al Tayer explain the most significant projects, initiatives, and the latest smart technologies offered by “DEWA Digital,” the digital arm of the authority.
Among the projects showcased at the exhibition is the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, recognized as the largest single-site solar power complex in the world under an independent power producer model.
The current capacity of the park is 3,860 megawatts, representing about 21.5% of DEWA’s total power generation capacity, which is expected to exceed 8,000 megawatts by 2030 (originally planned as 5,000 megawatts), helping to reduce carbon emissions by 8.5 million tons annually (originally planned as 6.5 million tons).
The authority is currently in the bidding phase for the seventh phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, with a capacity of 2,000 megawatts using photovoltaic solar panels, alongside a 1,400 megawatt battery energy storage system for six hours.
The Hatta hydropower station, utilizing pumped hydro energy storage technology, is a first-of-its-kind facility in the Gulf region, with a production capacity of 250 megawatts and a storage capacity of 1,500 megawatt-hours, designed for an 80-year lifespan.
Investment in this project amounts to around 1.42 billion dirhams.
The Sail Building
The ‘Sail’ building is the new headquarters of DEWA and is set to be the largest, tallest, and smartest net-zero energy government building in the world.
It is designed to attain a Platinum Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, alongside a silver WELL Global certification for green buildings.
The building will utilize advanced technology systems including the Internet of Things, big data analytics, artificial intelligence, and modern renewable energy solutions to ensure exceptional operational efficiency.
Reverse Osmosis
The Hassyan seawater desalination plant is among the largest worldwide using reverse osmosis technology, with an initial production capacity reaching 180 million gallons per day within an independent water producer system.
DEWA’s Space Program, “Space DEWA,” enhances the development, maintenance, and planning of electricity networks, alongside improving the efficiency of production, transmission, and distribution sectors. As part of this program, DEWA has launched two nano-satellites:
“DEWA SAT-1” in January 2022 and “DEWA SAT-2” in April 2023, marking DEWA as the first utility globally to use nano-satellites for operational enhancements.
Green Hydrogen
The green hydrogen project, the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa region, utilizes solar energy to produce hydrogen. Since becoming operational, it has generated over 100 tons of green hydrogen, with most of it used to produce more than 1.15 gigawatt-hours of green energy through a hydrogen-powered engine, helping to reduce carbon emissions by more than 515 tons.
Approximately 11 tons of hydrogen have been utilized across various sectors, including fueling hydrogen vehicles at the ENOC future service station in Expo City Dubai.
Electric Charging
DEWA offers smart and efficient charging services, allowing users to take advantage of quick, convenient, and reliable charging options that meet their daily mobility needs through its green charging initiative for electric vehicles.
With over 1,500 charging points widely distributed throughout Dubai, the green charging network ensures extensive coverage and high flexibility. Licensing of electric vehicle charging point operators allows the private sector to establish, operate, and manage public charging stations across Dubai.
This licensing is overseen by DEWA to ensure operators comply with the highest technical standards and safety requirements, maintaining transparency in pricing mechanisms and service offerings. This initiative promotes private sector participation, encourages healthy competition, and expedites the expansion of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, enhancing user experience.
Digital Transformation
The innovative digital substation rated at 132/11 kilovolts has been designed to meet the growing demand for electricity while establishing new standards in digital enhancement and sustainability.
This substation employs cutting-edge technologies in control, digital communications, cybersecurity, and monitoring and protection of equipment to ensure the stability of the electricity network.
DEWA also presented its new interactive platform “Chat with an Engineer,” allowing customers to communicate directly with the authority’s experts in various technical fields through integrated digital channels, enhancing transparency and swift response, making the customer experience more flexible and seamless.
Environmental Governance
The principles of environmental, social, and corporate governance represent a global framework for sustainability and responsible business practices. DEWA integrates these principles throughout its operations by enhancing sustainable infrastructure, deepening community engagement, establishing ethical governance, and ensuring transparent reporting, thus creating long-term value and endorsing Dubai’s status as a leading city in sustainability.
Al Rayan Mosque
The Al Rayan Mosque is recognized as the first house of worship globally to obtain the “Zero Energy for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design” (LEED Zero) certification in 2024, as well as the first mosque worldwide to achieve Platinum certification for green buildings under LEED v4 in 2021.
This underlines DEWA’s commitment to promoting green buildings in Dubai.
DEWA employs extended reality (XR) technologies to enhance field operation processes, allowing field teams to access digital data without being physically present, ensure immediate remote collaboration, and follow precise guidance for task execution.
Smart Distribution Network
DEWA presented its smart distribution network bolstered by edge computing and artificial intelligence, integrating advanced sensing technologies, automation, and AI-based control.
This smart network facilitates real-time monitoring, fault detection, self-healing, predictive maintenance, and seamless integration of renewable energy sources, enhancing reliability, resilience, and power quality.
DEWA utilizes artificial intelligence to calculate the net load on feeders linked to renewable energy sources under the “Shams Dubai” initiative. This innovative approach enhances network planning and design efficiency.
This concurrently improves peak load management efficiency while utilizing existing meters without needing to replace them. This initiative illustrates DEWA’s commitment to integrating the latest technologies to enhance operational efficiency and accelerate the adoption of clean energy in Dubai.
Additionally, DEWA showcased its Energy Transmission Network Operations Center, the project for storing and retrieving desalinated water in underground aquifers, and the “Remas” project, a virtual employee powered by AI aimed at enhancing employee productivity.
The authority also introduced its “My Sustainable Approach” program, which enables customers to monitor their electricity and water consumption and improve efficiency, along with its Smart Response Program that helps customers identify and efficiently address electricity issues, and the Smart Office, a comprehensive and secure application that meets all institutional work requirements in one platform, providing employees with a personalized digital experience available around the clock, enhancing efficiency and collaboration.
DEWA also emphasized its website, mobile app, and the UAE Watering project.
His Highness: Dubai leads the sustainability journey and shapes a brighter future for the world.
Saeed Al Tayer: “WETEX is a premier platform merging innovation, collaboration, and investment.”
3,100 companies from 65 countries are participating in the exhibition organized by DEWA.