DEWA integrates agentic AI into daily operations
Microsoft 365 Copilot Cowork turns AI from information tool to execution engine
#UAE #AgenticAI— Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has become the first government entity in the UAE to adopt Microsoft 365 Copilot Cowork, integrating agentic AI directly into employee workflows. The move marks a transition in how DEWA uses AI, progressing from tools that simply provide information to a platform that actively plans and executes complex, multi-step tasks across applications. Copilot Cowork functions as a digital colleague, analysing contextual work data including emails, meetings, and files, and developing comprehensive execution plans, with full employee oversight retained throughout. DEWA’s AI journey dates back to 2017, making it one of the first utilities globally to adopt AI for operational efficiency.
SO WHAT? — Copilot Cowork is an agentic system that takes a plan or objective and executes it across real work applications in real time. For a government utility serving one of the world’s most ambitious smart city programmes, that shift from AI as assistant to AI as executor could prove to be a gamechanger. DEWA being first among UAE government entities to deploy Copilot Cowork is both a statement of intent and a practical signal to the rest of the public sector about what agentic AI in daily operations actually looks like.
KEY POINTS:
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has become the first government entity in the UAE to adopt Microsoft 365 Copilot Cowork, deploying agentic AI across its operations to actively support task execution in daily workflows. DEWA will integrate it directly into daily operations, accelerating task completion and supporting data-driven decision-making.
Copilot Cowork is designed to function as a digital colleague rather than a search or query tool. It will help DEWA employees plan and carry out complex, multi-step tasks across Microsoft 365 applications by analysing contextual work data, including emails, meetings, and files, and developing a comprehensive execution plan aligned to the employee’s objectives.
Despite Copilot Cowork’s autonomous execution capabilities, full control remains with the employee at every stage (a feature that addresses one of the primary concerns organisations raise about deploying agentic AI in operational environments).
DEWA began its artificial intelligence journey in 2017, making it one of the first utilities globally to adopt AI. It has since been among the early pioneers in deploying generative AI, including Microsoft Power Platform and Microsoft 365 Copilot, strengthening digital services and customer experience.
The deployment directly supports Dubai’s broader smart city ambitions and places DEWA at the leading edge of the UAE’s national agentic AI transformation. The authority now has agentic AI embedded as an execution-focused capability that reduces operational costs, streamlines processes, and delivers faster public services.
ZOOM OUT — Last year DEWA announced its strategic roadmap to become the world's first AI-native utility, embedding AI across every aspect of its operations, from power generation and distribution to customer service, governance, compliance, and cybersecurity. The scale of what DEWA has already built is considerable. Its AI assistant Rammas has handled over 12.7 million customer inquiries at a 95% satisfaction rate. AI-driven automation has been extended across the Khadamatech e-services portal, IT support, and legal affairs. Microsoft Copilot and OpenAI's ChatGPT were integrated into daily operations in early 2024. Earlier this year, DEWA became the first utility worldwide to launch an app on the ChatGPT platform.
[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]
Read more about DEWA’s AI adoption:
DEWA becomes first utility on ChatGPT platform (Middle East AI News)
DEWA’s AI assistant handles 2 million enquiries (Middle East AI News)
DEWA launches AI legislation agent to guide users (Middle East AI News)
DEWA aims to become first AI-Native utility (Middle East AI News)
DEWA to integrate Microsoft Copilot across all operations (Middle East AI News)