Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Parkin, the largest supplier of paid public parking facilities in Dubai, to expand the number of the EV ‘Green Charger’ stations in several prime locations managed by Parkin. This initiative is a part of DEWA’s ongoing efforts to enhance sustainability, encourage the use of environmentally friendly electric vehicles (EVs), and improve customer experience by facilitating convenient vehicle charging.

In the presence of HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, and Ahmed Bahrozyan, Chairman of Parkin, the MoU was signed by Waleed Bin Salman, Executive Vice President of Business Development and Excellence at DEWA, and Mohamed Abdulla Al Ali, CEO of Parkin.

“The wise leadership attaches great importance to sustainability and green mobility. The UAE is a pioneer in adopting initiatives and projects that enhance the smart mobility ecosystem and accelerate the transition to a sustainable green economy. DEWA’s EV Green Charger initiative actively supports the National Electric Vehicles Policy and the Dubai Green Mobility Strategy 2030. This is achieved by encouraging the use of electric vehicles and reducing the transport sector’s carbon emissions, supporting the UAE’s efforts in climate action. Dubai has witnessed a notable increase in electric vehicles. By the end of April 2024, the number of electric vehicles in Dubai reached over 30,000 vehicles. This number is expected to increase in the coming years, reflecting Dubai’s success in fostering the use of sustainable and environmentally friendly transport. The number of registered customers in the EV Green Charger initiative has also increased to over 15,000 by the end of March 2024,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.

“Signing the MoU with Parkin to install EV Green Charger stations in several prime locations managed by Parkin aligns with our shared vision to support the Government’s efforts to enhance the EV infrastructure and provide easy access to charging facilities using the latest innovative technologies to reduce charging time. This strengthens Dubai’s globally leading position in urban planning and sustainable urban development. This also supports the Dubai Quality of Life Strategy 2033, which aims for Dubai’s community, including citizens, residents, and visitors, to make Dubai a globally leading city in quality of life and consolidate its position as a preferred destination for living and working worldwide. This also supports the Dubai Social Agenda 33, which aims to develop the city that offers the best living experience,” added Al Tayer.

“The visionary partnership between DEWA and Parkin is an important first step in our EV journey, directly supporting the ambitions of Dubai’s Green Mobility Strategy 2030 and Dubai Economic Agenda D33. We look forward to collaborating closely with DEWA on the development, implementation and enhancement of EV charging infrastructure across Dubai with a clear focus on world-class facilities alongside a high-quality customer experience, serving the strategic and social objectives of the Emirate. Given the time it takes to re-charge clean energy vehicles, our parking facilities will play a key role in supporting the global transition to EV, with our extensive parking network providing easy access to charging services, helping to incentivise EV adoption and maintain our joint commitment to sustainable mobility. As the largest provider of paid public parking facilities and services in the Emirate, Parkin serves a critical role within the transport ecosystem. The incorporation of EV charging as part of our facilities is complementary to our growth strategy, representing a significant opportunity to expand the capabilities of our platform. Operating over 197k parking spaces in Dubai, the Company’s market leading position, operational excellence and innovative technology will enable us to drive EV infrastructure growth while also offering environmental and decarbonization benefits,” commented Ahmed Bahrozyan, Chairman of Parkin’s Board of Directors.

Since 2015 until the end of March 2024, DEWA, through the EV Green Charger initiative, have furthered these goals by providing approximately 26,000 MWh of electricity for charging EVs in Dubai, powering a cumulative electric vehicle distance of approximately 130 million kilometres.

DEWA also offers several features to facilitate the charging of electric vehicles on its public charging network. Once customers register their EV with the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai, DEWA creates an EV Green Charger account, so they can charge their EV within one hour. All customers, including unregistered ones, can also use the guest mode feature to charge their EVs. DEWA also launched the ‘Dubai EV Community Hub’ website (https://www.dubaievhub.ae) to promote EV uptake and to centralise all available information on EV ecosystem.