20/07/2026 05:17 AST
The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) approved 61,183 no-objection certificate (NOC) applications during the first half of 2026, marking a significant milestone for the city's infrastructure development, the utility announced on Sunday.
Driven by the "Soqoor" corporate initiative, the streamlined approval system has dramatically accelerated project timelines for thousands of industry partners across the emirate.The initiative specifically targets structural inefficiencies by enabling contractors and consultants to secure project clearances on their very first submission.
Division breakdown
A closer look at the mid-year performance metrics reveals a highly active construction and utility sector distributed across Dewa's primary operations:
Transmission Power: Approved 32,802 applications.
Distribution Power: Handled 20,200 applications.
Water & Civil: Cleared 8,181 applications.
A total of 2,318 unique contractors and consultants engaged with the framework through the end of June, utilizing the integrated system to bypass traditional bureaucratic bottlenecks
The strategic rollout aligns closely with Dubai's broader macroeconomic goals, specifically the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33), which aims to double the size of the emirate's economy over the next decade."In line with the directives of the wise leadership, we continue supporting our partners, providing the ideal business environments and opportunities that foster their sustainable growth," said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dewa. "We also offer innovative services that help them accelerate implementation of their projects... thereby enhancing Dubai's position as a global hub for trade, business, investment, entrepreneurship and innovation."
Beyond high-level economics, the programme delivers immediate, practical benefits to local construction sites. Hussain Lootah, Executive Vice President of Transmission Power at Dewa, emphasised that the ongoing surge in demand for the Soqoor programme stems from its capacity to save critical project time.
By matching developer submissions directly against Dewa's stringent standards from the outset, the framework actively minimies costly field violations, infrastructure damages, and asdministrative fines.
To sustain this momentum, Dewa has made the complete Soqoor programme guide and its comprehensive technical requirements available online around the clock. The utility provider also hosts regular interactive workshops and awareness sessions, ensuring local building partners remain fully aligned with the city's evolving structural codes.
Khaleej Times
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