Yet another place where the man relaxes while the woman works

Anyone living in Dubai is well aware of what DEWA (Dubai Electricity & Water Authority) is — a government organization and the sole provider of electricity and water connections and supply. Think of it like Moscow’s Mosenergosbyt.

If you live in Dubai, rent an apartment or an office, or own property, and don’t want to live without water and electricity — you’ll need to go through DEWA. Or, if you’re in Sharjah, it’s the equivalent organization, SEWA.

For one of our clients, I needed to open a service account — essentially to connect the premises to utilities (electricity and water).
I spent several days trying to do this remotely through the DEWA website. I filled in some client details, lease contract numbers, and other required information.

However, I couldn’t manage to open the service contract online. Maybe I was doing something wrong — the system kept throwing up endless errors and insisted I restart the process.

Eventually, I gave up. Frustrated and on edge, I typed “DEWA” into Google Maps and headed to the first DEWA center I could find — in search of justice, so to speak, offline.

I was mentally prepared to sit through a long wait, clutching a ticket number, picturing another half-day wasted on what should be a basic task, and still not understanding why it had to be like this.
But as soon as I stepped into the “DEWA Future Customer Happiness Centre,” I started to melt.

The small, modern waiting area had just 3 or 4 visitors. The atmosphere was cozy and serene — comparable to waiting for a private business jet in an airport’s VIP lounge.
Only women were working there, all dressed in traditional Emirati clothing, and all holding iPads. Laptops and sleek gadgets were scattered around for public use if needed. And — no waiting tickets whatsoever!

I hadn’t even finished stepping in when one of the staff members literally swept me off my feet, sat me down, told me not to worry, and opened the much-needed account in about 15 seconds.

I felt a bit awkward — all the female staff were working standing up, while the clients lounged in plush chairs.
I think my entire visit to DEWA, including the deposit payment, lasted no more than 5 minutes.
I walked out in a daze, forgetting to even ask what I had done wrong in the first place — absolutely fantastic service!