Dubai: Volunteering and humanitarian programmes are at the core of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority’s (DEWA) corporate strategy and efforts to serve society, DEWA said in a statement on Saturday.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, managing director and CEO of DEWA, noted: “His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, once said ‘Our daily businesses and projects should not let us forget about giving to those who need help’. At DEWA, we are keen to launch, and sponsor many pioneering humanitarian initiatives.”
Al Tayer added: “We have an integrated strategy for volunteering, which represents a civilised approach that stems from the foundations of the UAE. DEWA launches its social 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 results.”
“DEWA’s pioneering initiatives and volunteering and humanitarian programmes constitute an integral part of its strategy and efforts to serve society,” he underlined.
Awards
DEWA noted under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai, Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum honoured winners of the National Emirates Award for Humanitarian Work, where Al Tayer was honoured with golden fingerprint in appreciation of his efforts in achieving excellence, promoting scientific knowledge and sustainability.
DEWA has won many prestigious local and international awards, including the ‘Dubai Al-Khair’ award at the 21st Dubai Government Excellence Program (DGEP). In 2020, DEWA achieved first place in the Public Sector Category of the 13th Arabia CSR Awards for the 5th year running. DEWA also won three awards in the International Corporate Social Responsibility Excellence Awards 2017.
CSR initiatives this year
DEWA sponsored the 10th ‘Aftir’ campaign, an initiative of the Ramadan Aman campaign by the Al Ihsan Charity Association in Ajman. Many DEWA staff volunteered to distribute the meals to families with limited income and people of determination who are sponsored by the Association.
DEWA organised Ramadan activities for members of the Family Village, in collaboration with Community Development Authority in Dubai. The activities included a Ramadan Suhoor for orphans, supervisors, and volunteers. There were also gift vouchers distributed during the workshops on the conservation of electricity and water, protecting natural resources and adopting a sustainable lifestyle.
DEWA also organised an interactive awareness workshop at the Dubai Club for People of Determination aimed at developing the talent of students of determination, including children of DEWA staff. They were encouraged to innovate, create, and unleash their potential and creativity through art.
Volunteering
During Expo 2020 Dubai, 177 DEWA employees contributed 46,560 volunteering hours. Some of them received the ‘Golden Heart’ award from Expo 2020 Dubai for their hard work during the international exhibition.
Between 2013 and 2021, DEWA launched over 380 social initiatives with its employees registering 145,634 volunteering hours in humanitarian and community initiatives, benefiting 36,514,842 people in the UAE and abroad. In 2021, society’s happiness with DEWA was 94.1 per cent.
DEWA also promotes social responsibility among its employees and instils a culture of humanitarian work. DEWA’s female employees participate in several humanitarian activities. In 2021, DEWA’s female employees completed more than 13,300 volunteering hours in 40 social and humanitarian initiatives.
Al Khair Fund
Meanwhile, DEWA launched its Al Khair Fund in October 2009, which is a social solidarity programme exclusively for DEWA employees. The programme’s main objective is to provide financial support to the participating employees whenever they have an urgent or financial need that falls under the approved entitlement.
