Gulf Construction Online - $267m contract awarded for new Dewa HQ

UAE Focus

Dewa’s new headquarters ... a rendition.

$267m contract awarded for new Dewa HQ

01 November 2019

Dubai Water and Electricity Authority (Dewa) has awarded a contract worth Dh981.96 million ($267 million) for the construction of its new headquarters to a consortium comprising Ghantoot Transport and General Contracting and Ghantoot Gulf Contracting.

Construction of the new offices called Al-Shera’a (Arabic for sail) is expected to be complete within 30 months.

Dewa previously awarded the first phase of construction, worth Dh46 million, to Dutco Balfour Beatty, which brings the total cost of the building’s construction to over Dh1 billion. Al Shera’a will be built in Jadaf in Dubai, and will be the tallest, largest, and smartest government Zero Energy Building in the world.

Total energy used in the building per year will be equal to or less than the energy produced on site during that year. Dewa’s new headquarters has been designed to receive a platinum rating by LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and a silver rating from the WELL Building Standard.

Dewa will later announce two more phases to implement work on the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI), and the photovoltaic solar systems for the building.

“By building Al-Shera’a, we establish a global benchmark for buildings that achieve a balance between development and the environment, to protect the right of future generations to live in a clean, healthy and safe environment. This supports the UAE Vision 2021 to make the UAE one of the best countries in the world, and the Dubai Plan 2021, to make Dubai the preferred place to live, work, and visit,” said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, managing director and CEO of Dewa.

Al Tayer said that Al-Sheraa’s built-up area is over 2 million sq ft. The building, which can accommodate more than 5,000 people, will have 15 floors, a basement and four floors of car parking. Facilities will include an auditorium for 500 people, training halls, a creativity centre, an exhibition hall, a nursery for children of employees, and a gym, among others.

The building will have over 20,000 sq m of photovoltaic solar panels rated to over 4,000 kilowatts. There will be 1,000 sq m of building integrated photovoltaics (BIPVs). The building will generate over 6,500 megawatt hours (MW/h) a year of renewable energy.

Al-Shera’a’s design was inspired by the UAE’s traditional houses, where enclosed spaces overlook an open courtyard. To reduce heat in the open courtyard, a sail design is used to provide shade. Natural light during the day will stream through specific openings in the sail, giving sufficient light without the associated heat.

The courtyard will have a sustainable garden and will give an outdoor feeling in an indoor setting. The building will use the latest technologies including IoT, Big Data and Open Data, AI, and the latest smart-building management technologies and is intended to use 50 per cent less water than regular buildings.