Wetex 2013 concludes with record visitors

Wetex 2013 concludes with record visitors Staff Report / 18 April 2013 The Water, Energy, Technology, and Environment Exhibition, or Wetex 2013, on Wednesday concluded on a successful note as record visitors and exhibitors attended the event. The three-day show provided a unique global platform, and highlighted advanced technologies in water, energy, environment, oil and gas and sustainability. It attracted end-users, experts, investors and decision-makers from the public and private sectors as well as specialists in water, electricity, energy, environmental technologies and oil and gas sectors. Many specialised workshops and seminars, 34 in total, were held on the sidelines of the exhibition, which have attracted huge turnout to the show. These seminars contribute to strengthening Dubai’s position as a leading centre for conferences by providing a platform to exchange expertise and knowledge. Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) also hosted a dinner in Sheikh Saeed Hall in Dubai World Trade Centre to congratulate sponsors, exhibitors and supporters of Wetex 2013. The dinner was attended by Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, managing director and CEO of Dewa, senior officials from the organising committees of the show and more than 54 sponsors and over 1,300 government organisations and participating companies. Dewa stressed the importance of cooperation between companies for the better of the water, energy, environment, oil and gas sectors in Dubai. The 15th Wetex attracted elite companies from water, energy, environment, oil and gas sectors from across the world and the region. Saeed Al Tayer honored strategic, platinum and gold sponsors during the ceremony in presence of executive vice presidents of Dewa. – — muzaffarrizvi@khaleejtimes.com Conserve resources Issac John The Dubai Global Energy Forum 2013 concluded on Wednesday with a call to take immediate action to conserve resources and ensure a secure energy supply. The three-day event, which drew 4,000 energy sector stakeholders from the UAE and other Arab and foreign countries, also stressed the need for a legislative framework that facilitates the application of technologies and encourages investment in clean energy in the region. Energy experts and researchers, who attended the forum, stressed the importance of cooperation and partnership between the public and private energy sectors in the region, which is vital for the implementation of clean energy projects. The forum also endorsed the importance of prioritising energy efficiency when creating energy demand management strategies. It concluded that renewable energy has great potential in the region, and regional governments have placed renewable energy development high on their agenda. Adnan Sharafi, Chairman, Emirates Green Building Council, UAE, addressing the session on Wednesday. “The role of governments in national strategies and the integration of diverse energy sources is essential in helping to achieve sustainable development,” the forum said in a communique. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, vice-president of the Supreme Council, and Ahmad Buti Al Muhairbi, secretary-general of the Supreme Council, presented awards to the forum’s sponsors, speakers and moderators for their efforts in making DGEF 2013. The debates that have taken place over the three days have brought together a wide range of energy experts from both the public and private sectors, who have exchanged views on several key topics including: sustainability, ways to generate energy, how to finance green projects, the available forms of renewable energy, sustainable transport, techniques for converting waste to energy, energy efficiency, and climate change. On the final day of the forum, the debate was centered on urban planning, climate change and green cities. Experts discussed climate change, including greenhouse gas emissions, carbon management and carbon capture and storage, alongside integrated physical planning. Education, community awareness and capacity building were also all underlined as essential. — issacjohn@khaleejtimes.com   Dewa signs more deals on energy conservation Muzaffar Rizvi Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, or Dewa, continues to strengthen its relationships with local and international companies by signing three more Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) on the sidelines of Water, Energy, Technology, and Environment Exhibition (Wetex) 2013, which concluded on Wednesday. On Tuesday, Dewa signed three different MoUs with Dubai Land Department, Unilever and LG Electronics to accelerate its pace towards a green economy in the emirate. The power utility signed the first deal on Wednesday with a leading retail electronics dealer Sharaf DG to promote eco-friendly products and sustainable solutions as well as to raise awareness of sustainability among the community in Dubai. Under the MoU, dedicated Eco-Zones will be created within Sharaf DG main outlets to house eco-friendly home appliances. Also, the company will assist in the dissemination of energy efficiency and water conservation messages under Dewa’s Home Appliances Campaign. Moreover, Sharaf DG will collaborate in training sessions organised by Dewa for its employees on eco-friendly home appliances. Waleed Salman, EVP-Strategy and Business Development, Dewa, said: “We signed a series of agreements during Wetex 2013 focused on raising awareness on energy conservation practices in Dubai as part of day-to-day living.” Yasser Sharaf, managing director of Sharaf DG, said: “We are proud to join hands with leading departments in the region like Dewa as well as participate in their campaigns to promote eco-friendly products. We will have a trained team to familiarise shoppers with latest eco-friendly electronic devices through dedicated zones.” Dewa also signed a MoU with BSH, a company specialised in the provision of home products and appliances, to promote environment-friendly products and sustainable solutions. BSH’s chief executive Mark Saunders said: “We are proud to be part of the campaigns on environmental sustainability undertaken by Dewa. We are confident that this cooperation will bring a lot of success for our operations in the region through strengthening our social responsibility towards the community in the UAE.” In another development, Dewa signed a MoU with Osram Middle East, a leading international company in the field of lighting solutions, to promote eco-friendly products and sustainable solutions. — muzaffarrizvi@khaleejtimes.com