Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, the Managing Director and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), announced the establishment of a network of over 1,270 electric vehicle charging points across Dubai. This includes charging stations created in partnership with both governmental and private sector collaborators. He emphasized DEWA’s ongoing commitment to enhancing green mobility and supporting Dubai’s vision to transition to environmentally-friendly transportation methods, aligning with national initiatives to achieve 50% of all vehicles on the roads of the United Arab Emirates being electric or hybrid by 2050.
Al Tayer stated, “In line with the visionary leadership’s objective for Dubai to serve as a global model for smart urban development through the promotion of green mobility, we launched the ‘Green Charger’ initiative in 2014, marking the region’s first public infrastructure for electric vehicle charging. We continue this pioneering approach by offering innovative digital services for electric vehicle charging and encouraging private sector investments in green mobility infrastructure in Dubai. This includes the launch of a comprehensive licensing system to develop and operate electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the emirate, especially as the number of electric vehicles surpassed 40,600 by the end of the first half of this year. This will help achieve the objectives of Dubai’s Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Carbon Neutrality Strategy 2050 for the emirate of Dubai.”
Regulatory Framework for Electric Vehicle Charging Operators
DEWA has established a regulatory framework for the electric vehicle charging infrastructure and the licensing of independent charging point operators in Dubai. This framework considers both current and future requirements, ensuring Dubai remains at the forefront of green mobility innovations. It comprises two paths, as Dubai experiences a blend of direct development of public charging infrastructure by DEWA and its subsidiaries, alongside the development of infrastructure by independently licensed charging operators.
Expanding the Charging Station Network
The DEWA’s ‘Green Charger’ stations feature various types, including ultra-fast charging, fast charging, public chargers, and wall-mounted chargers to cater to diverse user needs. To enhance infrastructure availability, DEWA has signed an agreement with Parkin to install charging stations at several key locations managed by the company, thereby improving user experience.
All users, whether registered under the ‘Green Charger’ initiative or not, can access services via the ‘Visitor Feature’. Users can locate charging stations using DEWA’s app, website, or through 14 other digital platforms. In addition, DEWA has launched the ‘Electric Vehicle Community in Dubai’ website at www.dubaievhub.ae to promote the use of electric vehicles by centralizing information on the latest developments in electric vehicle technology.