Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has invested more than AED10 billion ($2.7 billion) to expand and modernize Dubai’s electricity transmission network, supporting the emirate’s growing energy needs driven by urban expansion, industrial growth, and the shift toward clean energy.
During the first half of 2026, DEWA commissioned eight new 132-kilovolt (kV) transmission substations with a combined conversion capacity of 1,200 megavolt-amperes (MVA). The AED970 million projects also included the installation of 20 kilometers of transmission cables, enhancing the reliability and resilience of Dubai’s electricity grid.
The utility also brought online a new 400/132kV transmission substation at Saih Al Dahal within the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, strengthening infrastructure that supports one of the world’s largest single-site solar energy projects.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director and CEO of DEWA, said the investments are designed to meet both current and future electricity demand while aligning with Dubai’s rapid development. He noted that the projects also support the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 and the Dubai Social Agenda 33.
DEWA’s expansion plans remain on track, with 65 new 132kV substations and one 400kV substation currently under construction. Over the next three years, the utility intends to tender more than 30 additional 132kV substations, install 340 kilometers of underground transmission cables, and build two more 400kV substations to further strengthen the network.
According to Hussain Lootah, Executive Vice President of Transmission Power, the newly commissioned substations will improve electricity supply across fast-growing communities, including Madinat Hind 4, Al Khairan First, Al Layan First, Nad Al Sheba First, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Gardens, Al Barsha South Fourth, Me’aisem Second, and Al Manara.
By the end of the first half of 2026, DEWA’s transmission network had expanded to 402 substations, comprising 28 operating at 400kV and 374 at 132kV.
The utility also awarded 21 contracts for additional 132kV substations across major development areas such as Al Barsha South, Al Jaddaf, Al Yalayis, Al Yufrah, Bu Kadra, Jebel Ali, Airport City, Me’aisem, Saih Al Dahal, Umm Suqeim, Wadi Al Safa, Warsan, and Zabeel.
In a further boost to the grid, DEWA awarded contracts worth approximately AED3 billion to install 64 kilometers of new 132kV transmission cables, reinforcing Dubai’s electricity infrastructure to support future economic and population growth.
