WETEX held under the umbrella of the 4th Green Week and
with 2nd Dubai Solar Show and 4th World Green Economy Summit
HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum: WETEX has established itself as one of the world’s leading international exhibitions for smart, innovative solutions and services.
Under the directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance and President of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), the 19th Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition (WETEX 2017) opened at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC).
The event, which runs until 25 October 2017, is being held under the theme ‘At the forefront of sustainability,’ and under the umbrella of the 4th Green Week on an area of 70,000 square metres. More than 2,000 exhibitors from 50 countries are participating at WETEX, which is being held in conjunction with the 2nd Dubai Solar Show and the 4th World Green Economy Summit (WGES). The Summit welcomes over 60 specialist speakers from around the world on subjects such as green economy, smart cities, innovation, and sustainable development.
HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance, and President of DEWA opened WETEX 2017 and the Dubai Solar Show accompanied by HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA and the Founder and Chairman of WETEX.
“Dubai has strengthened its leadership position as a global hub for organising and hosting major conferences and exhibitions. WETEX has established itself as one of the world’s leading international exhibitions for smart and innovative solutions and services. The UAE, and other countries in the region, continue to invest in major projects, in line with their strategies to diversify energy sources and their aspirations to promote economic growth in the post-oil phase, as well as their efforts to move towards a green economy, and support sustainable development,” said HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
The inaugural ceremonies were attended by HE Matar Humaid Al Tayer, Chairman of DEWA; HE Humaid Al Qatami, Chairman of the Board and Director General of Dubai Health Authority; HE Ahmed Al Muhairbi, Secretary General of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy; HE Saeed Al Kindi; HE Matar Al Neyadi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Energy; HE Mohammed Abdullah Al Ahli, Director General of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority; HE Abdulrahman Al Saleh, Director General of the Department of Finance; HE Ahmed Abdulkarim Julfar, Director General of the Community Development Authority; HE Saif Al Falasi, CEO of Emirates National Oil Company; HE Hamad Buamim, Director General of Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry; HE Ahmed bin Shafar, CEO of Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower); HE Ahmed bin Humaidan, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Smart Dubai Office; HE Helal Al Marri, Director General of Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing; HE Dr Saif Saleh Al Sayari, Acting Director General of Abu Dhabi Electricity and Water Authority; HE Dr Rashid Al Leem, Chairman of the Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (SEWA); HE Mohammed Abunayyan, Executive Chairman of ACWA Power; HE Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council; HE Abdullah Abdulkarim, Director General of the Department of Petroleum Affairs in Dubai; HE Dr Ahmed bin Hassan Al Shaikh, Chairman Emeritus of Ducab; HE Ali Rashid Lootah, Chairman of Nakheel; and Salem Al Moosa, Chairman and CEO of Falconcity of Wonders, and HE Butti Saeed Al Kindi, Chairman of Emirates Investment and Development Corporation.
Also present were a number of ambassadors, consul-generals, economic and trade representatives, senior government officials, senior members of DEWA, the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and members of the media.
After the opening, HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Al Tayer along with other VIPs were given a tour of the exhibition and were briefed about various innovations, solutions and new products in energy and water desalination, green technologies, clean and renewable energy, environmental sustainability, and oil and gas, among others.
HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum stopped by the DEWA display, which includes a model of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site solar park in the world based on the Independent Power Producer (IPP) procurement model. The solar park’s capacity is expected to reach 1,000 megawatts (MW) by 2020 and 5,000MW by 2030, with investments of up to AED 50 billion. He was briefed on the 4th phase Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) project, which will have a capacity of 700MW. The 4th phase is the largest CSP project in the world based on the IPP model. The project includes the world’s tallest solar tower with a height of about 260 metres. He also checked the model of DEWA’s new headquarters, called Al-Shera’a, which will be the tallest, largest and smartest Zero-Energy Building (ZEB) in the world.
HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum also inspected a model of the hydroelectric power station, the first of its kind in the Arabian Gulf that will make use of the water stored in the Hatta Dam, with a total capacity of 250MW and a lifespan of 60 to 80 years. He also checked the smart solutions and innovations shown on DEWA’s stand, including Blockchain, Rammas, the virtual employee, and DEWA’s updated smart application. His Highness paid a visit to the Italian and Chinese pavilions and the stands of the UAE Ministry of Energy, Dubai Police, Siemens AG, ABB International, ACWA Power, World Green Economy Summit (WGES), Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) and DUCAB. His Highness also visited the Dubai Solar Show, which covers 14,000 square metres, which has gathered experts and manufacturers who are meeting to show solar power solutions. His Highness also visited the Sustainable City at the Dubai Solar Show, the Solar Decathlon Middle East, Dubai Municipality, RTA, and Dubai Ports World, the Innovation Hall with 14 universities exhibiting. After that, His Highness inaugurated the fourth Green Week, which focuses on promoting awareness about saving electricity and water through initiatives and workshops to promote green practices. Green Week also attracts specialist environmental and water companies to promote energy and water conservation for a sustainable future for generations to come.
DEWA also displayed its three smart initiatives to promote sustainable development. The first is Shams Dubai, to encourage customers to connect solar power in buildings by installing photovoltaic panels to produce electricity, with the surplus exported to DEWA’s grid. To date, DEWA has connected its grid to 453 solar systems placed on the roofs of buildings in Dubai, including residential, commercial and industrial facilities, with a total capacity of 18.7MW. DEWA will increase this number in the future to reach all buildings in the Emirate by 2030. The second initiative is a smart application for smart meters and smart grids. This application facilitates immediate reconnection in case of interruption; decreases consumption through the use of smart meters; and monitors consumption details accurately and instantly at any time. A total of 200,000 meters were connected by January 2016. By 2020, over 1.2 million smart meters will be installed to replace the mechanical and electromechanical meters across Dubai. The third initiative is the Green Charger, which creates the necessary infrastructure for electric vehicle charging stations to encourage people to own this type of environment-friendly car. The installation of 100 electric power stations was successfully completed at various locations in Dubai by the end of 2015 in coordination with the concerned authorities. DEWA intends to double this number to 200 in 2018.
The Sustainability stand at DEWA’s section at WETEX 2017 has the Solar Decathlon Middle East (SDME) stand, which is organised in partnership with the Supreme Council of Energy and DEWA and the US Department of Energy. Dubai will host two of these competitions in 2018 and 2020, coinciding with Dubai Expo 2020. The total value of competition prizes is AED 10 million, with participating teams displaying their inventions on global solar technologies under one roof. The winning team will be chosen based on their success in providing a number of elements in the building it has created, including cost effectiveness, consumer attraction, outstanding design and efficient consumption.
The Innovation and Smart Applications stand displayed its latest innovations and technologies in smart transformation, smart services and the continuous development of its operations. DEWA presented its Rammas service, which makes use of artificial intelligence technology to act as a virtual employee. The Rammas service communicates with customers and responds to their enquiries via 24/7 instant chat, on the DEWA website. DEWA’s smart application is available on both iOS and Android platforms, DEWA’s Facebook page, and on the Alexa smart device from Amazon. A range of the latest technologies applied by DEWA was featured, such as the DAQRI smart helmet and smart glasses based on augmented reality technology to help engineers working in power plants to accomplish their tasks; 3D printing technology, which enables DEWA to develop spare parts and improve the performance of maintenance and operations; a Big Data initiative, and the Smart Home Energy Monitoring application, which allows customers to track the average consumption of electrical appliances in their homes.
“Organising WETEX in Dubai provides a great impetus for achieving the objectives of the long-term national Green Economy for Sustainable Development initiative launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to transform Dubai into a hub for exporting and re-exporting green products and technologies. It also supports the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 to turn Dubai into a global hub for clean energy and a green economy by providing 7% of Dubai’s energy from clean energy by 2020, which will be increased to 25% by 2030 and 75% by 2050,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA and Founder and Chairman of WETEX.
Throughout the last 18 years, WETEX has managed to establish its position as one of the biggest and most important global exhibitions in the water, environment and energy sectors. This is in keeping with Dubai’s prestigious reputation as a role model for the entire world in driving the transformation towards a safe and sustainable future. This move reflects the visionary policy and prudent vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who placed investment in clean energy as a major strategic priority. The importance of the 19th WETEX is twofold: it is a strategic platform to consolidate fruitful cooperation among decision makers, investors, researchers, academics, and experts to pursue new opportunities, and it explores creative solutions and modern technologies for building a promising future characterised by optimised security, sustainability, and boundless opportunities for the present and future generations.”
Al Tayer also pointed out that WETEX has become an annual event that is much awaited by all institutions, organisations, departments, and companies specialising in energy, water, and environment in the region and the world. It is a means to exchange solutions and green products in addition to identifying excellent investment opportunities in these crucial fields. The exhibition offers a unique opportunity for investors to establish and develop commercial relations and promote business opportunities by holding one-on-one meetings with representatives of major corporations and decision makers from all around the world under only one platform.”
“Dubai Solar Show is considered the driving force of global efforts to develop the solar power sector which is regarded as one of the cornerstones of sustainability. We will review the latest innovations of leaders in solar power technology in the UAE and the whole world, as well as evaluate the field’s relevance with respect to the requirements of the Emirati market in order to start deploying it in a way that supports our ambitious projects and developmental plans. Experts expect the solar power market to expand tenfold by 2030 to become the main source of energy in the whole world. It is also expected to generate revenues estimated at USD 5 trillion in 15 years. In addition to the 75% reduction of its cost over the last 10 years, a huge leap is also expected in photovoltaic solar power technologies. These have combined to increase demand for solar power in many places around the globe.”
“In keeping with Dubai’s major achievements during its journey to claim its position at the forefront of the smartest and most sustainable cities in the world, we made sure that this event will be more inclusive and unique by providing thematic platforms such as renewable and climate change; innovation, education, and smart technology; smart communities and lifestyle; national pavilions; green supplier; and customer happiness. The event’s agenda features high-profile discussions around the main areas of regulatory frameworks and policies necessary for driving renewable energy and climate change projects around the world; the required transformation in energy; energy demand management strategies; the best world practices in energy efficiency; perspectives in the wake of the Paris Climate Agreement; as well as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change,” added Al Tayer.
“Green Week is based on a clear vision of promoting a culture of sustainability across all segments of society, including school and university students who have influential roles in society, in addition to adopting, developing, applying, and spreading innovative ideas within society. Green Week serves as a perfect platform for relaying and spreading theoretical, practical and business knowledge as well as developing smart solutions in the environmental and energy fields which is considered a driving force of all endeavours exerted towards transforming into a green and sustainable economy. The event focuses on creating awareness on the role of students as the linchpin of development and the cornerstones of the future,” Al Tayer said.
“Green Week will be conducted via a series of workshops and educational events in an attempt to inculcate a culture of innovation and creativity in our younger generations who will be the leaders of the future. It will also focus on developing young talents who will help establish the future of sustainable development in support of the national direction towards enhancing the leadership of Dubai and UAE in the green revolution,” Al Tayer added.
Al Tayer called on students from universities and schools to participate in the ‘Green Corner’ during WETEX, where they can display their innovative and sustainable environmental projects before decision makers, public officials, business people, experts, and representatives of the biggest companies operating in energy and water.
The Green Corner platform highlights the issue of climate change and promotes awareness about the importance of addressing this challenge facing the world today. Students and participants in the scientific workshops and lectures will have the chance to acquire new and advanced skills that can be utilised and developed in the simplest forms available. Green Week will also highlight the various ways to save energy and water, the latest Green Building concepts for residential buildings and apartments, and the latest thermal and electrical power generation systems, solar water heaters, and solar panels.
The 75 sponsors of the 2017 Water, Energy, Technology, and Environment Exhibition fall under the four categories of Titanium, Strategic, Platinum, and Gold. The event is also being supported by various media sponsors and partners, partners from the public sector, and several other sponsor organisations.