Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has unveiled plans to invest AED 7 billion ($1.9 billion) in a comprehensive smart grid project, aiming for completion by 2035. This initiative is designed to enhance the efficiency, reliability, and sustainability of Dubai's electricity and water services.

The smart grid will integrate advanced technologies from the Fourth Industrial Revolution, including artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT). These innovations will facilitate automated decision-making and ensure seamless interoperability across the utility's infrastructure. DEWA's Managing Director and CEO, Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, emphasized that the project aligns with Dubai's vision to become the world's smartest and happiest city, providing services that meet the highest standards of availability, reliability, sustainability, and quality.

In 2014, DEWA introduced its initial Smart Grid Strategy, which was updated in 2021 to extend through 2035. This revised strategy encompasses six key themes and 19 globally recognized smart grid enablers, offering flexibility to adapt to emerging opportunities and challenges.

One of the flagship components of this initiative is the Automatic Smart Grid Restoration System (ASGR), the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa. Operating continuously without human intervention, ASGR utilizes innovative central systems to detect faults, isolate them, and automatically restore services. This advancement enhances grid automation, fault detection, and service restoration, reinforcing DEWA's commitment to delivering services with utmost reliability and efficiency.

In 2022, DEWA launched a Big Data and Analytics platform to integrate smart grid applications and operational technologies. This platform processes large volumes of data, providing analytics and forecasting for current and future projects. It plays a crucial role in improving the operations and management of assets and smart meters, thereby enhancing stakeholder experiences.

The smart grid also supports services like the 'High-Water Usage Alert,' which detects leaks in water connections beyond the meter. The system sends instant notifications to customers upon detecting unusual increases in consumption, enabling prompt repairs. Since its launch in 2019, the service has successfully detected over 1.8 million water leaks, 36,005 defects, and 13,397 cases of increased load.