Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has honoured its staff for their hard work and commitment and celebrated its achievements during 2013 by saluting the visionary leadership of the UAE and Dubai, at its fifth annual gala dinner held at the Madinat Arena, Madinat Jumeirah.

Organised under the theme Thank You, We are Proud, the annual gala get-together was attended by HE Matar Humaid Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board of Directors of DEWA, HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO, HE Ali bin Abdullah Al Owais, Chairman of the Regulatory and Supervisory Bureau, Majid Al Shamsi, Board Member of DEWA, Executive Vice Presidents, Vice Presidents, and other DEWA management. The event further strengthened the multicultural solidarity and team work within the organisation and 1,500 DEWA employees took part.

We had an exceptional year in 2013 with great achievements that helped accomplish the vision of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said Saeed Al Tayer.

We are on track to achieve the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030 and the UAE Vision 2021. As the UAE marks its 50th National Day, we are confident that our nation will rank among the top nations of the world highlighted by its presence, capabilities, and smart services, and recognised as one of the most advanced, developed and happiest countries in the world, added Al Tayer.

In line with our vision to become a sustainable world-class utility, DEWA introduced several ground-breaking activities complementing the Smart Government strategy and Green Vision for Sustainable Development initiative announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. We achieved remarkable success in 2013, further contributing to establishing Dubai as a global hub for business and tourism. We owe this success to our glorious nation, our visionary leaders, Dubais residents and our fantastic team of employees, said Al Tayer.

Through the annual gala dinner, we are expressing our Thank You to the UAE, our leadership and our employees. We are committed to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoums overarching mission of achieving the happiness of our people, because we believe in his words that It is necessary to ensure employees happiness in order that they in turn can bring happiness to others. With our annual celebration, we are not only bringing joy to our employees, but also honouring them for their exceptional work and dedication to achieving DEWAs goals, explained Al Tayer.

Al Tayer urged DEWA employees to continue their outstanding work, adding that teamwork, a focus on service efficiency, innovation, and community engagement are fundamental to the success of the organisation.

The annual gala event featured several outdoor activities that celebrated the UAEs rich tradition and heritage. In addition to traditional Emirati hospitality being showcased at the event, DEWA also highlighted a Water Photo Wall and the Liwa activity.

DEWAs Marketing and Corporate Communications Division organises this annual meeting as part of its internal communication initiatives to enhance employee loyalty and a positive working environment. The theme of this years event, Thank You, We are proud, celebrates our successes and achievements over 2013. Building on last years theme of Be Proud, the theme reflects the principles of leadership and excellence that we have maintained with the support of our leaders. We want you to be proud of the achievements of our employees. We chose Thank you, we are proud to emphasise our achievements at the local and international levels, which we have continuously met year after year. This is based on our strategy to invest in the future to achieve goals by harnessing our resources judiciously, for generations to come, said Khawla Al Mehairi, Vice President of Marketing & Corporate Communications at DEWA.

The celebrations were hosted by Hamad Jassem Rajab and Maha Al Masoum. A video was screened at the venue showcasing the achievements of DEWAs support for its staff and various corporate social responsibility initiatives. Several entertainment activities, including poetry recitations by Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Hamad Jassim Rajab and Abdulla Sulaiman Alshaibani, and Abdulla Ismail presented a raffle draw and gave away prizes to the audience.