Dubai: Employees of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) and volunteers on Saturday helped clean up beaches and plant mangrove trees at the Jebel Ali marine sanctuary.

The clean-up, which took place in cooperation with Emirates Marine Environmental Group (EMEG), was timed to take place on the UAE’s National Environment Day.

The marine sanctuary is host to some of the UAE’s wildlife, including sea turtles and a growing number of mangrove trees.

Involved in the clean-up were individuals, school students, students of Dewa Academy, and members of Dewa’s Youth Council.

“We are pleased to be co-organising this remarkable environmental campaign, through which we will clean up some of the emirate’s most important natural reserves in Jebel Ali,” said Saeed Mohammad Al Tayer, Managing Director and CEO of Dewa.

“We are pleased to cooperate with EMEG, as part of our commitment towards preserving the environment, and fully collaborating with stakeholders to achieve sustainable development.”

The utility firm chief said that the clean-up was in line with the UAE Vision 2021. Part of the country’s vision focuses on clean air, water resource conservation, green energy and more green development.

These types of initiatives were part of gaining a “balance between sustainable development and environmental preservation”, Al Tayer added.

President of EMEG Major Ali Saqr Sultan Al Suwaidi said, “The UAE is committed to preserving its environment, and has adopted ambitious plans to achieve this by protecting natural sanctuaries.

“The campaign to clean beaches in the Jebel Ali marine sanctuary is part of efforts to achieve this goal.”

Dewa has won several awards for its environmental conservation efforts. These include the Five Star Environmental Audit from the British Safety Council for five consecutive years between 2011 and 2016, and the Globe of Honour from the British Safety Council out of seven international organisations. Dewa was the first organisation in the Middle East and North Africa to receive the award five years in a row.