Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) recorded 7.4 million digital transactions during the first half of 2026, highlighting the growing adoption of digital utility services as Dubai continues to advance its smart government and digital transformation agenda.
The transaction volume reflects customers’ increasing reliance on digital channels to access DEWA services and complete utility-related processes without visiting physical service centres. The shift supports DEWA’s strategy of providing seamless and accessible digital services while improving operational efficiency and customer experience.
The performance also demonstrates the scale at which digital government services are becoming embedded in everyday interactions between Dubai residents, businesses and public service providers.
Digital channels are becoming the default for utility services
Utilities are increasingly moving customer interactions from traditional service centres toward mobile applications, websites and integrated government platforms.
Digital channels allow customers to manage accounts, make payments and access services remotely, reducing the time and administrative effort associated with conventional processes.
For service providers, higher digital adoption can also reduce transaction costs while allowing employees and physical service infrastructure to focus on cases that require more direct assistance.
Dubai continues pushing digital-first government services
DEWA’s transaction volumes form part of Dubai’s broader transition toward digitally enabled public services.
Government entities across the emirate have invested heavily in automation, mobile services and interconnected digital platforms designed to simplify interactions for residents and businesses. The objective increasingly extends beyond putting existing processes online toward designing services that can be completed quickly through end-to-end digital journeys.
High transaction volumes provide an indication of how widely these channels are being used in practice.
AI and automation are reshaping customer experience
DEWA has also been expanding its use of artificial intelligence and automation across customer-facing and operational processes.
These technologies can help utilities automate routine requests, accelerate processing and provide more personalized digital interactions. Combined with mobile and online platforms, AI creates opportunities for public utilities to move toward increasingly proactive services rather than relying solely on customers to initiate interactions.
The approach reflects a broader convergence between digital government, utility technology and AI.
Digital adoption can improve operational efficiency
Large-scale migration toward digital transactions has implications beyond customer convenience.
Automated workflows can reduce manual processing, improve consistency and provide organizations with better data about how customers use their services. Digital platforms can also be continuously optimized as transaction volumes and user behaviour provide insights into where processes can be simplified further.
For utilities serving rapidly growing cities, these efficiencies can become increasingly important as service demand expands.
Why this matters
DEWA’s 7.4 million digital transactions in the first half of 2026 demonstrate the scale of digital adoption within one of Dubai’s most important public utilities. The figures show how digital government is moving beyond individual technology initiatives toward widespread everyday usage, with residents and businesses increasingly interacting with essential services through digital channels.
Editor’s note
The next stage of digital government will increasingly be measured by adoption and outcomes rather than the number of services placed online. Transaction volumes such as those reported by DEWA provide a useful indication of whether digital platforms have become part of citizens’ everyday behaviour. As Dubai integrates more AI and automation into public services, the focus is likely to shift further toward faster, proactive and increasingly seamless government experiences.
