Dubai
More than 2.3 million people benefited from the initiatives of the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) in 2017, going beyond providing electricity and water, during the Year of Giving, an official said on Wednesday.
Dewa has launched its community initiatives within an institutional framework and an integrated system that includes plans, initiatives, implementation and evaluation, based on the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), to ensure the sustainability of its results.
Dewa allocates eight per cent of its sales revenue to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, and works with various public and private organisations to implement these initiatives.
The authority also works to promote CSR, and to consolidate a spirit of voluntarism among Dewa employees and community members in general.
Dewa’s CSR efforts over the last few years have contributed to an increase in happiness in society, from 82 per cent in 2013 to 92 per cent in 2017. Dewa also received many local and international awards in CSR, including the MVO8000 in CSR in 2015, becoming the first government organisation in Dubai to receive this global recognition.
DEWA won three awards in the International Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Excellence Awards 2017. It received the Gold Award in the Best Initiative category for its Emission Reduction Programme, the Silver Award in CSR for the DEWA Sustainability Report 2015, and the Bronze Award in Education for its rationalisation campaigns.
“Dewa not only provides electricity and water services to the highest levels of quality, efficiency, and reliability, but also contributes to supporting the economic, environmental, and social development of Dubai and the UAE as a whole,” said Saeed Mohammad Al Tayer, managing director and CEO of Dewa.
“Dewa is committed to enhancing social responsibility and consolidating a spirit of voluntarism among its employees and community members. We adopt a clear strategy and a package of pioneering humanitarian and philanthropic initiatives, according to a system through which it seeks to serve the community and promote social cohesion. Dewa organises many activities and events around the world to enhance interaction with various groups in the society, and contribute to building a better future for our future generations,” added Al Tayer.
Over 2.3 million beneficiaries from 27 community initiatives
Dewa approved 12 main programmes to provide 27 social and humanitarian initiatives that directly support the three themes of the Year of Giving initiative. This benefited more than 2.3 million people through Dewa and its partners, local and international humanitarian organisations.
In terms of volunteering, 1,847 Dewa employees contributed 45,665 volunteer hours in 2017, compared with 8,014 hours in 2013 through its volunteer programme.
Dewa’s 2017 accomplishments
— Over 2.3 million people benefited from 27 initiatives in Year of Giving
— 8 million people benefited from Suqia’s programmes
— 45,000 volunteer hours by 1,847 volunteers from DEWA’s staff
— 42 social partnerships with public and private organisations
— 92% society happiness level on DEWA’s community initiatives
— 8% of DEWA’s sales revenue to support community responsibility
— Dh100 million of Dewa’s investments went to technical and engineering education for Emiratis in 3 years
— Dewa Innovation Centre at Dubai Rehabilitation Centre for Disabled will provide over 150 students of determination with the required training courses on modern technologies
— Dewa sent volunteers in Tajikistan on a unique humanitarian project with Suqia to benefit 7,850 people.
— In Upper Egypt, Suqia and the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Charity and Humanitarian Establishment launched a campaign to implement sustainable development and humanitarian projects in Upper Egypt to benefit a total of 175,000 people
— Supporting ‘For your sake, Somalia’ campaign where Dewa donated 20,000 cartons of Mai Dubai bottled water
— Emirati condolence tents exempted from electricity connection fees
