Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) will deploy what it calls the world\u2019s first AI-powered \u201cVirtual Engineer\u201d in June 2026. The system will learn from live operations and act like an experienced expert. It will issue predictive failure alerts, run root-cause analysis, calculate efficiency autonomously, recommend plant optimisation, and simulate scenarios in real time. Managing Director and CEO Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer announced the move in a speech titled \u201cAI-Driven Energy Transformation\u201d on the final day of the World Governments Summit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The tool will monitor power assets 24\/7, spot anomalies early, and keep output within optimal bands during peak summer demand. DEWA says this will raise reliability and efficiency across generation, transmission, and distribution. In plain terms, it is a software expert that never sleeps. It learns from data, tests options in a safe simulation, and then suggests\u2014or executes\u2014actions to keep electricity stable. Local reports confirm a go-live window of June 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Utilities worldwide are adding AI to control rooms to cut outages and costs. DEWA\u2019s plan aligns with that shift and with Dubai\u2019s digital strategy. Al Tayer stressed that AI can expand industry while reducing environmental impact and strengthening resilience. His remarks position Dubai as an early mover at the policy level, using a summit stage to lock timelines and signal readiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
DEWA has already put AI into production. In 2025, it and Siemens Energy advanced a world-first AI Plant Intelligent Controller at the Jebel Ali site, using a digital twin\u2014an exact virtual replica of a physical system used for testing and optimisation. Internal results showed measurable fuel and efficiency gains. Earlier announcements traced the controller\u2019s roots to DEWA\u2019s generation division.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Through its digital arm, Moro Hub, DEWA operates green data centres powered by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. Guinness World Records lists the complex as the world\u2019s largest solar-powered data centre, supporting high-compute AI workloads with renewable energy. This backbone lets DEWA train, deploy, and update models at scale while keeping data local.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
DEWA\u2019s AI assistant \u201cRammas,\u201d launched in 2017, has handled more than 12.7 million customer inquiries across channels. That volume shows sustained user trust and gives DEWA a mature pipeline for AI updates. The virtual engineer extends that logic from front-office service to core operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Short term, users should see steadier voltage, faster incident response, and better peak-hour performance. Medium term, efficiency gains can lower system costs and emissions, freeing investment for grid upgrades and clean capacity at the solar park. The move also signals to industry that Dubai\u2019s grid is ready for data-center growth and electrification of mobility and cooling\u2014two sectors that need tight reliability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With a firm June 2026 timeline, DEWA shifts AI from pilots to round-the-clock plant intelligence. The utility couples summit-level policy with operational proof points at the Jebel Ali Power and Desalination Complex and in customer services. The \u201cvirtual engineer\u201d turns experience into software and makes reliability a learning system. If execution matches the plan, Dubai strengthens its lead in data-driven, low-carbon power<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) will deploy what it calls the world\u2019s first AI-powered \u201cVirtual Engineer\u201d in June 2026. The system will learn from live operations and act like an experienced expert. It will issue predictive failure alerts, run root-cause analysis, calculate efficiency autonomously, recommend plant optimisation, and simulate scenarios in real time. Managing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3416,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3415","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-4"],"blocksy_meta":[],"yoast_head":"\n