Dubai launches CleanTech Alliance to accelerate net zero ambitions

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has rolled out the CleanTech Alliance, a new platform aiming to speed up the development and commercialization of clean energy and sustainability innovations. This initiative aligns with Dubai’s clear goal to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

As detailed by the Dubai Media Office, the alliance, launched through DEWA’s Sustainability and Innovation Centre, serves as a showcase for both local and international companies working on technologies related to renewable energy, water treatment, and broader clean tech solutions. Members will be able to tap into the centre’s key initiatives and have opportunities to present their projects to investors, industry leaders, and global innovators. Basically, this move is designed to boost collaboration among innovators and jump-start solutions that support Dubai’s strategies for clean energy and zero carbon emissions by mid-century.

HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, managing director and CEO of DEWA, mentioned that the Sustainability and Innovation Centre functions pretty much as a worldwide hub for clean energy breakthroughs, encouraging partnerships and creating growth opportunities. It’s already drawing tens of thousands of visitors each year, including investors, entrepreneurs, startups, universities, and research institutions , which, DEWA claims, has established it as a hotspot for knowledge exchange and practical expertise.

The timing of the CleanTech Alliance is interesting because DEWA has been scaling up its activities to turn technological potential into real-world projects. Industry stats and official statements show that DEWA is increasingly linking its innovation efforts to actual competitions and pilot schemes. For example, in February 2025, DEWA ran the third edition of its CleanTech Hackathon, which attracted 193 applications from seven countries. Winners came from Germany, Spain, and the UAE, with solutions covering clean energy and advanced water treatment. DEWA itself notes that these hackathons aim to identify and speed up ideas that mitigate climate change, tackle water shortages, and promote environmental sustainability.

Moreover, DEWA is tying its innovation plans to large infrastructure projects and decarbonization efforts. Initiatives like the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site solar installation in the world, and pilot projects exploring green hydrogen from renewable power highlight this. In May 2024, DEWA announced that it would stop launching new fossil fuel-based power plants and instead focus on efficient reverse osmosis desalination powered by clean energy. They also plan to expand the solar park to 5,000 MW by 2030. These steps fit with the UAE’s broader goal of reaching net zero by 2050, which, among other things, involves tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030 compared to 2022 levels.

The CleanTech Alliance is intended to build on this momentum by providing a structured environment that supports collaboration and scaling. DEWA states that members will have access to the centre’s networks and will be able to showcase their technologies to potential partners and investors , a vital step for startups trying to go from a demo to a full-scale deployment. The centre’s growing international profile helps make those connections, exposing innovators to global investors, universities, and research organizations, which is pretty vital in today’s competitive landscape, right?

Interestingly enough, the alliance comes at a time when the centre itself is gaining recognition. In October 2025, DEWA’s Sustainability and Innovation Centre won the SEAL Business Sustainability Award for 2025 in the “Pioneering Sustainability Services” category. DEWA says this award underlines its role in accelerating the energy transition and raising awareness around sustainability issues. The high participation numbers in the hackathons are also seen as signs of how influential the centre is becoming in nurturing future leaders in sustainability.

That said, the sector isn’t without its familiar hurdles. Start-ups and tech providers looking for rapid growth often struggle with securing long-term project contracts, testing their solutions on the grid, and securing affordable funding , part of the ongoing challenge in scaling up clean tech. Industry insiders point out that while incubators and hackathons are great for generating ideas, the real work begins when it comes to integrating technologies , sorting out permits, utility procurement, and financing demonstration projects , which are all key to making these innovations a part of everyday energy systems.

DEWA has signaled recently that it’s serious about tackling some of those issues. Its strategies and project portfolio highlight a focus on pilot projects, public–private partnerships, and green hydrogen and desalination solutions powered by renewables. The CleanTech Alliance, DEWA says, will help reinforce these pathways by creating a “structured environment” where innovators can grow their solutions, helping to move from the lab to the grid and supporting long-term sustainable sector growth.

For Dubai, launching this alliance is part of a broader ambition to stay at the cutting edge of sustainability and innovation. The city’s hosting of global forums and official goals, like achieving 100% clean energy capacity by 2050 and overall net-zero commitments, are both political imperatives and market opportunities for new technologies aimed at reducing emissions and improving resource use. Linking the alliance up with existing incubators, competitions, and major infrastructure projects signals a clear strategy: discover talent, foster innovation, and secure swift deployment.

Ultimately, the success of the CleanTech Alliance will be judged on how well it can turn pilot projects into market-ready solutions, and how effectively it connects startups, investors, and utilities in a market demanding not just innovation, but reliable, scalable, and grid-compatible solutions. According to DEWA’s updates, the centre plans to keep hosting events, competitions, and investor engagement activities to nurture this ecosystem and help Dubai reach its long-term clean energy goals.

Source: Noah Wire Services