H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, yesterday inaugurated Gitex 2011. At the event, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed visited the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) exhibition stand where during his attendance the Authority announced its new grand prize – the eco-friendly Lexus ‘green car’.
The electric car is designed to help reduce carbon emissions and will be used to increase and encourage the number of DEWA e-service users. The unveiling of the grand prize is in addition to the daily ‘smart’ prizes available during Gitex including the iPad, Galaxy Tab, Blackberry, playbook for customers visiting the DEWA stand.
During H.H. Sheikh Mohammed’s visit to the DEWA stand, His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director and CEO of DEWA, discussed the new e-services provided to customers by the Authority and explained that services are divided into three sections: Information Services, Interactive services, and Procedural Services, H.E. Al Tayer also demonstrated the different payment channels offered by DEWA such as applications through smart phones and devices (iphone, ipad, blackberry, Andrews application, windows 7 application and blackberry playbook) in addition to the e-pay service and drive-thru payment, Etisalat payment devices, ENOK and EPECO stations, mpay, Emirates post offices in Dubai, banking services, ATMS. The discussion was also attended by Eng. Marwan Bin Haider, Vice President and Head of DEWA’s IT department.
Concerning DEWA’s participation in GITEX, H.E. Saeed Al Tayer commented: “DEWA is working on applying its strategy to strengthen state-of-the-art technology and solutions in all its operations, according to the directives of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed to offer the very best in the customer service through implementing practices that support the e-government services strategy, enhance the government’s role in serving the community, and achieve sustainable and balanced development. In addition to supporting all practices that conserve our environment and natural resources and help reduce carbon emissions that are now one of the foremost challenges facing the world.”
He also added: “During Gitex, DEWA is highlighting the role of e-services and how they can reflect positively on the environment by way of reducing vehicles’ carbon emissions through using motor car to reach DEWA’s services. In this context we are delighted to announce our new partnerships with Etisalat, through a new application for Etisalat’s customers to pay their DEWA bills through eLife. It is worth mentioning that DEWA and Etisalat have had a partnership since 2009 to support the e-services field.”
DEWA also announced its partnership with Samsung smart TV, so users can pay their DEWA bills and all other e-services from DEWA through the TV.
DEWA will announce the winner of the new Green Lexus Car in Jan 2012. Customers qualified to enter the draw will pay their full DEWA bills for October, November and December through mPay or the DEWA website.
DEWA is working to support its e-services in line with its strategy to provide the best practices and services to all customers according to the best international standards.
In 2010, DEWA launched its smart phone applications which included 60,000 downloads. These applications help the customers to read the DEWA news, know the nearest customer service branches, send notes to branches, check and pay bills, in addition to getting information about banks that they can pay their bills through.
