Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) received the Gold Medal of Excellence in the field of Social Responsibility in the Arab World. The Award was presented by the Arab Organisation for Social Responsibility, at its 12th session, during the ‘Regional Forum of individuals and institutions that adopt social responsibility in its corporate activities’, at Savoy Hotel, Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. The award was presented in recognition of DEWA’s role in establishing a culture of corporate social responsibility regionally and globally, and supporting the concept of environmental, social and economic sustainability in the Emirate of Dubai and the United Arab Emirates.
The gold medal was received by Taha Al Hamri, Specialist in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at DEWA, who presented DEWA’s pioneering experience in the field of social responsibility, its initiatives in support of community and volunteer work, and its role in promoting environmental and social sustainability.
HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, expressed his delight and stressed that this medal is an addition to DEWA’s list of social and humanitarian achievements.
“In line with the directives of our wise leadership, and the vision of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, DEWA adopts a clear strategy to establish and promote CSR, environmental protection, and the conservation of natural resources to achieve sustainable development.” said Al Tayer.
“DEWA has a clear message of commitment to achieving happiness for all stakeholders and enhancing Dubai’s vision. We are proud of DEWA’s CSR achievements, raising society’s happiness from 82% in 2013, to 89% in 2016. During the Year of Giving, DEWA launched 12 main programmes to provide 27 social and humanitarian initiatives. We also aligned the strategy of the integrated community and volunteer work with the main objectives of the Year of Zayed, to involve all members of society in achieving the vision of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, locally, regionally, and internationally. Through this important step, DEWA seeks to focus on highlighting the role of the UAE’s Founding Father, in establishing the UAE, and appreciating his noble personality and values, which remain the foundation of the UAE. It also works to strengthen Sheikh Zayed’s status as a symbol of patriotism, and to perpetuate his legacy, through future projects and initiatives, in line with his vision and values,” added Al Tayer.
“DEWA encourages employees to actively participate in volunteer work. The number of volunteering hours, done by DEWA staff, reached approximately 13,000 hours, while the total number of beneficiaries from DEWA’s charitable initiatives reached 2.4 million people around the world. DEWA has also reached advanced levels in implementing the ISO 26000 guidelines in social responsibility, and receiving international awards and certificates such as the MVO 8000 Certification, as the first government institution in Dubai to receive this global recognition,” noted Al Tayer.
“DEWA has launched several important CSR projects, and has attached utmost importance to initiatives and programmes to raise awareness about the importance of rationalisation and conservation of natural resources, which have proved the extent to which all members of society can contribute to national and global efforts aimed at reducing the phenomena of climate change and global warming. Between 2009 and 2016, DEWA customers achieved savings of more than 1.5 TWh of electricity, and more than 6.2 billion gallons of water, equivalent to AED 967 million. These savings contributed to a reduction of about 831,000 tonnes of carbon emissions, equivalent to planting 944,000 trees,” said Khawla Al Mehairi, Executive Vice President of Strategy & Government Communication at DEWA.
Last year, DEWA received the Golden Shield Award in environmental conservation for DEWA’s Neighbourhood Campaign, and the Certificate of Excellence in technological innovation for DEWA’s mobile photovoltaic-powered reverse-osmosis seawater-desalination plant.