Latest / DEWA Podcasts / DEWA’s transmission investments exceed AED 10 billion as Dubai network expansion accelerates • Eight 132 kV and one 400 kV substations commissioned in H1 2026

Transcript

DEWA’s transmission investments exceed AED 10 billion as Dubai network expansion accelerates • Eight 132 kV and one 400 kV substations commissioned in H1 2026 · DEWA Podcasts

• 0:00
  Dubai's continuous urban growth relies heavily
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  on, well, an incredibly robust infrastructure.
• 0:06
  Right. Today, we're examining a major update
• 0:10
  regarding strategic investments in the city's
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  electricity transmission network. Hmm. These
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  investments have now crossed the, well, 10 billion
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  UAE Durham mark. That massive level of investment
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  is driven by the directives of His Highness Sheikh
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  Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Yeah. His vision
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  positions Dubai as a global benchmark for continuous
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  growth and, you know, infrastructure quality.
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  Wow. To give you a sense of the scale, during
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  the first half of 2026 alone, things moved fast.
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  Okay. Eight substations of 132 kV were actually
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  commissioned. Those eight substations represent
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  a total conversion capacity of 1 ,200 megavolt
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  amperes. Hmm. They were completed at a cost of
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  970 million dirhams. Right. And they required
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  laying down 20 kilometers of transmission cables.
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  That's just one piece of the puzzle, though.
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  Yeah. There was also the commissioning of a massive
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  400 over 132 kilovolt transmission substation
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  in Sayh al -Dahl. Oh, wow. It is located right
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  within the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar
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  Park. Okay. That specific project cost 630 million
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  dirhams. Hmm. It added a staggering conversion
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  capacity of 2 ,000 megavolt amperes. And it required
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  constructing 117 kilometers of 400 kilovolt overhead
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  transmission lines. Wow. Altogether, these infrastructure
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  projects demanded over 9 million working hours.
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  Yeah. They were delivered in line with the highest
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  standards of efficiency, reliability, and safety.
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  Right. They were completely supported by the
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  latest digital technologies. The momentum isn't
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  slowing down. Oh, definitely not. Currently,
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  there are 65 new 132 kilovolt substations and
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  one 400 kilovolt substation under active construction.
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  Hmm. Over the next three years, there are plans
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  to issue new tenders for more than 30 additional
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  132 kilovolt substations. Okay. They also plan
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  to extend 340 kilometers of underground transmission
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  cables and construct two 400 kilovolt substations.
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  The philosophy driving this rapid expansion was
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  outlined clearly in the recent announcement.
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  Yeah. In line with the objectives of the Dubai
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  Economic Agenda D33 and the Dubai Social Agenda
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  33, we are committed to meeting current and future
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  requirements, keeping in pace with growing electricity
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  demand, and expanding our infrastructure as a
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  key driver of economic and social development.
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  We're already seeing the impact of that commitment.
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  For sure. The newly commissioned substations
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  cover vital areas, including meeting the power
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  needs of national housing projects in Medina
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  at Hind 4. Seven other substations were also
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  commissioned, across districts like Al -Kairan
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  1st, Nad Al -Sheba 1st, and Al -Barsha South
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  4th. By the end of the first half of 2026, the
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  network boasted 402 transmission substations
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  in total. Wow. That includes 28 at the 400 kilovolt
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  level and 374 at the 132 kilovolt level. Yeah.
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  Furthermore, 21 new contracts were awarded for
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  substations across several districts. Right.
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  This was alongside contracts to extend 64 kilometers
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  of cables to connect them to the main network
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  at a cost of 3 billion dirhams. Now, here's a
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  question we'd like you to think about. Okay.
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  As green capacities reach unprecedented levels,
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  well, things are shifting. Yeah. How will these
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  physical power transmission milestones shape
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  the ultimate blueprint for future smart cities
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  globally?