‘UAE at forefront of Arab world’

The UAE stands at the forefront of the Arab world in the Global Innovation Index 2016, as it moved up six places compared to previous year, a UAE official has said.

This is a result of the long-term vision of the wise leadership that focusses on innovation, as shown by the declaration of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, announcing 2015 as the Year of Innovation, and the National Innovation Strategy launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai to make the UAE one of the most innovative countries in the world.

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, CEO of Dewa, said, "We are implementing the directives and the Dubai Plan 2021, to transform Dubai into a city of happy, creative, and empowered people. Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) supports the efforts of our wise leadership to establish the position of Dubai and the UAE as a platform for innovation and as a creativity incubator. This supports the Dubai Innovation Strategy, which emphasises that innovation is a priority for improving government services and initiatives and a basis to develop our strategies and plans."

He added that Dewa adopts an integrated strategy to stimulate research in renewable energy and water and implement creative ideas and suggestions.

Al Tayer noted that Dewa has adopted innovation within its strategy for 2021, and has adopted strategic innovation as one of the five major pillars of the Dewa 2021 Strategic Plan. They aim to achieve the goals of their strategy by the time they celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Union.

"Dewa’s Innovation Centre is one of the innovative projects at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. It features a number of research and development centres in clean energy technologies, drone research, 3D-printing, and water desalination using solar energy, with a total investment of Dh500 million. Last year, Dewa launched its Innovation Week, to enhance the UAE’s international position in innovation. Innovation Week comprised 30 innovative activities and events, and witnessed the launch of 40 innovations for sustainable energy and water," he said.

The activities also included the launch of ‘My Innovation’ (Ibtikari in Arabic), for university students and engineering specialists to identify scientific solutions and innovations in sustainability and water.

It is also organising the Solar Decathlon Middle East (SDME), which is scheduled to take place in 2018, and again in 2020. The decathlon aims to motivate university students and encourage them to innovate and use their creativity to design efficient and self-sufficient buildings.

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