Sustainability in UAE: DEWA Implementation and Key Determinants

This report provides an overview of business sustainability, its determinants, and its implementation within the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with a specific focus on the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA). It identifies direct factors such as environmental and social performance, and indirect factors like dynamic capability and innovation, that influence organizational sustainability. The report highlights DEWA's adoption of sustainability initiatives as the first UAE government organization to join the UN Global Compact, emphasizing their commitment to social, economic, and environmental factors in their projects. Furthermore, it suggests approaches to enhance sustainability in the UAE, including technological advancements, collaboration with sustainable organizations, and integrating sustainable practices into the company culture. The report concludes that incorporating sustainability is crucial for long-term success and requires a balance between new opportunities and increased management responsibilities.

Running Head- Business Sustainability- Introduction and Implementation 0
Business Sustainability

Business Sustainability- Introduction and Implementation 1
Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Business sustainability and its determinants..............................................................................2
Direct factors:.........................................................................................................................2
Indirect Factors:......................................................................................................................2
Sustainability adoption by DEWA.............................................................................................2
Approaches to enhance Sustainability:......................................................................................3
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................3
References..................................................................................................................................4

Business Sustainability- Introduction and Implementation 2
Introduction
Business Sustainability is referred as the coordination and management of social, financial
and environmental demands to ensure ethical, ongoing and responsible success. This report
undertakes the determinants and methods that may enhance business sustainability in UAE
(Issa & Abbar, 2015).
Business sustainability and its determinants
Sustainability shows challenges as well as opportunities for the organisation by operating in
economic pressure and manage resources for the future requirements of the organisation.
There are direct and indirect factors that affect sustainability of an organisation. Some of
those factors are:
Direct factors:
Development of sustainability metrics directly depends upon the environmental and social
performance of the organisation. Social performance includes enlargement and development
through associations between communities, companies, government and non-governmental
organisations. Environmental performance aims at evolving environmental policies, to define
the internal and external factors and to identify the relation between environmental practices
and profitability.
Indirect Factors:
Indirect factor includes dynamic capability, innovation, supply chain management,
information technology system, sharing and management of knowledge, human resource
management, management of human and capital and service innovation. These factors are
required to be managed in an effective manner to enhance the sustainability of the
organisation (Tsai, Tsai and Chang 2013).
Sustainability adoption by DEWA
DEWA known as the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority is the first government
organisation of UAE to join the sustainability initiatives by United Nations Global Compact
(UNGC). According to the reports, DEWA moved in this line to support world-wide
sustainability programmes and initiatives, and to improve its foremost position among
globally sustainable business organisations. The organisation is working in this direction to

Business Sustainability- Introduction and Implementation 3
achieve its mission and vision and to develop its image as a sustainable inventive
organisation.
According to Saeed Mohammad A1 Tayer, CEO and MD of DEWA, sustainability is
considered at every level of projects that they implement. Organisation tries to frame their
projects while including three important factors of sustainability named as social, economic
and environmental factors (Times, 2018).
Approaches to enhance Sustainability:
Approaches for enhancing the business sustainability in UAE includes technology
advancement, collaboration with sustainable organisation and introducing sustainable
practices and habits in the working culture of the company. The effective measures to
enhance business sustainability includes:
 Embracing good control and governance.
 External pressure should be considered as an opportunity.
 Organisation should be able to handle informal collaborations such as social networks
and associations related to specific industry.
 Linking business plan with sustainability initiatives and policies (Company, 2014).
Conclusion
On the basis of this report, it can be concluded that it is required to introduce sustainability in
the business to restore social and environmental equality and to increase long-term success. It
also reflects that business sustainability adds new opportunities to the business at the same
time it increases the responsibilities of the management.

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References
Company, Taiga. 2014. Six Tips to Enhance Business Sustainability Stakeholder
Engagement. 21st July. http://taigacompany.com/six-tips-to-enhance-business-
sustainability-stakeholder-engagement/.
Issa, Nivine, and Saeed Al Abbar. 2015. “Sustainability in the Middle East: achievements and
challenges.” International Journal of Sustainable Building Technology and Urban
Development, 2015 6 (1): 1-5.
Times, Dubai Khaleej. 2018. Dewa first UAE govt utility to join UNGC sustainability
initiative. https://www.khaleejtimes.com/nation/dubai/dewa-first-uae-govt-utility-to-
join-ungc-sustainability-initiative.
Tsai, Meng Shan, Meng Chen Tsai, and Chi Cheng Chang. 2013. “The Direct and Indirect
Factors on Affecting Organizational Sustainability.” Journal of Management and
Sustainability 3 (4): 67-77.