DEWA And Dell Pursue Stronger Digital Utility Infrastructure Arabian Post

(MENAFN- The Arabian Post) clearfix"> Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and Dell Technologies are exploring closer cooperation on digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity to improve the resilience of Dubai's electricity and water services.

The discussions, disclosed by DEWA in December 2025, covered technology capable of strengthening electricity networks, improving water distribution and supporting renewable energy integration. They followed separate agreements between Dell and subsidiaries of DEWA's digital arm on cloud infrastructure and digital equipment services.

DEWA has not disclosed a new, directly signed memorandum of understanding with Dell covering the full range of these discussions. The distinction is significant because the proposed areas of cooperation remain opportunities under consideration rather than confirmed infrastructure deployments or contracted projects.

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, DEWA's managing director and chief executive, met a Dell delegation led by Adrian McDonald, the technology company's president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The delegation included Walid Yehia, Dell's managing director for the Gulf, and Mohammad Amin, a senior vice-president responsible for several regional markets.

The meeting examined the use of internet-connected devices, edge computing and data centre systems to modernise essential utility infrastructure. Such technologies could allow information from operational equipment to be processed closer to its source, helping operators identify faults and respond to changing network conditions.

Artificial intelligence and advanced data analytics formed another part of the discussions. DEWA identified predictive maintenance, electricity and water demand forecasting, and customer services as potential applications. Predictive maintenance uses equipment data to identify possible failures before they interrupt operations, although its effectiveness depends on reliable information and implementation.

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The authority also highlighted cybersecurity as a priority. Greater connectivity across electricity and water networks creates additional requirements for protecting operational systems, maintaining service continuity and controlling access to sensitive infrastructure. DEWA and Dell discussed strengthening protective frameworks, without announcing a specific new security product or implementation timetable.

The sustainability of computing infrastructure was also considered. The companies examined energy-efficient data centre designs and cooling technologies as DEWA seeks to reconcile expanding digital capacity with its environmental objectives. Electricity consumption and cooling requirements are important considerations when utilities increase their use of advanced computing systems.

The talks built on two memorandums signed by businesses within Digital DEWA in October 2025. Moro Hub, a subsidiary providing digital infrastructure services, agreed with Dell to develop cloud capabilities using artificial intelligence infrastructure, including Dell PowerEdge servers. The arrangement is intended to improve computing performance and support scalable services for organisations operating in the UAE.

That agreement was signed by Mohammed Bin Sulaiman, Moro Hub's chief executive, and Walid Yehia, with Marwan Bin Haidar, vice-chairman and group chief executive of Digital DEWA, present. Moro Hub described the initiative as part of its effort to provide secure cloud services for government and private-sector customers.

DigitalX, another Digital DEWA subsidiary, separately signed a memorandum with Dell covering digital asset provisioning and infrastructure solutions. The agreement envisaged combining Dell's information technology capabilities with DigitalX's service operations to support organisations upgrading their computing environments.

Neither memorandum, by itself, establishes that the broader utility network projects discussed by DEWA and Dell have been commissioned. Financial values, procurement schedules and measurable performance targets for those possible projects were not specified in the announcements. The authority did not identify pilot sites or participating facilities.

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DEWA has meanwhile pursued additional technology arrangements with other suppliers. During the Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition in October 2026, it announced three agreements addressing information technology infrastructure, operational cybersecurity and monitoring of industrial systems.

One agreement with Huawei covers hardware, software and support across networks, data centres, digital substations and cybersecurity. Another, with Nozomi Networks, provides a framework for managing cybersecurity licences and improving visibility of operational assets and risks. A third, with Syskey Softlabs, addresses system logs, asset performance, network monitoring and risk management.

Those agreements illustrate the range of technical systems involved in maintaining utility resilience, from communications equipment to the software used to detect operational problems. They are separate from the Dell discussions and should not be treated as implementation milestones under a Dell agreement.

DEWA's December meeting was also attended by Marwan Bin Haidar, then identified as executive vice-president of innovation and the future at the authority, and Mohammed Bin Sulaiman of Moro Hub. Their participation reflected the involvement of both utility operations and digital service businesses in the discussions.

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