Environment & Energy | Sunday 22 February, 2015 12:42 am |

A delegation from Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) visited Malaysia in response to an invitation from the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), to enhance relationships with Malaysian companies and organisations, and promote the Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition (WETEX) for Malaysian companies. WETEX is organised under the directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance, and President of DEWA. It will be held from 21-23 April 2015 at the Dubai Exhibition and Convention Centre.

The delegation was received by Dato' Dzulkifli Mahmud, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at MATRADE, and Sonny Cheah, Commissioner of the National Water Services Commission in Malaysia (SPAN). DEWA’s delegation, headed by Saeed Bel Jafla, Acting Senior Manager of Government Relations and Abdul Syed Abdul Hameed, Senior Manager of Contracts, built on the wide Malaysian participation in WETEX 2014.

“I would like to thank the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation for their invitation and their support to DEWA’s delegation and for facilitating meetings with decision-makers in many Malaysian companies. DEWA is committed to enhancing cooperation with the Malaysian side and exploring new potentials. Participation of Malaysian companies in WETEX is important for us. The exhibition supports Dubai’s efforts to achieve a green economy and sustainable future,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA, and President and Founder of WETEX.

“WETEX has become a key global platform for water, energy, and environment companies. It is one of the world’s largest specialised and comprehensive exhibitions in this field. WETEX brings together various stakeholders in energy, water, environment, sustainable development, and oil and gas under one roof. It is an ideal venue for them to reach agreements and partnerships, communicate with partners and customers, as well as showcase their services and solutions to a large number of customers,” added Al Tayer.

“The wide participation of national and international companies in WETEX 2014 underlined its success for over 16 years, and the good reputation it has achieved worldwide. We feel this success during the roadshows to promote WETEX and establish it as one of the global specialised exhibitions. We anticipate huge participation in the 17th edition this year,” added Al Tayer.

MATRADE organised a workshop in Menara MATRADE in Kuala Lumpur, entitled Business and Investment Opportunities to discuss collaboration with DEWA and invite Malaysian companies to participate in WETEX 2015. Deputy Chief Executive Officer of MATRADE introduced the DEWA delegation to Malaysian energy, water, environment, and solar energy companies. The workshop started with a presentation by Saeed Bel Jafla who presented Dubai’s smart initiatives and the huge opportunities Dubai offers, as well as preparations to host Expo 2020. Participants commended the development Dubai has achieved and liked the images that he showed during his presentation, especially a photo of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, raising the UAE flag on top of Burj Khalifa to celebrate the UAE 42nd National Day. He then talked about Exploring Business Opportunities with DEWA. The workshop, which reviewed Malaysian participation in WETEX 2014, was followed by an open session to answer questions about participation in WETEX 2015.

DEWA delegation held meetings with 74 Malaysian companies and organisations from the public and private sectors at Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur hotel to discuss participation in WETEX 2015. The government organisations DEWA met included MATRADE, the Electrical & Electronics Association of Malaysia (TEEAM), the Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia (CIDB), the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM), Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Air Negara (SPAN), and the National Water Services Commission.

WETEX 2015 will be held under the umbrella of the Green Week 2015. It coincides with the World Green Economy Summit (WGES), which aims to establish Dubai as a global hub for green economy and sustainability.

Over 1,500 companies have registered in WETEX 2015 so far. The exhibition is expected to attract a record number of visitors, following the success of WETEX 2014 edition which drew over 23,000 visitors.