Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

State utility Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (Dewa) has increased its flagship solar project's 2030 target installed capacity by 45%, from 5,000MW to 7,260MW.

In a statement, Dewa said the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum (MBR) Solar Park will have a production capacity of more than 7,260MW by 2030, with a total investment of AED50bn ($13.6bn).

The utility said the total capacity of the solar energy projects commissioned at the solar park has reached 3,460MW from photovoltaic (PV) solar panels and concentrated solar power.

The total alternating current (AC) capacity of contracts awarded in the first five phases of MBR Solar Park is about 2,860MW, with construction under way for the 1,800MW sixth phase of the solar scheme.

Based on the official solar installed capacity of 3,460MW, as of early 2025 clean energy accounts for 20% of Dewa's total power capacity of about 17,179MW. Natural gas-fired capacity accounts for the rest.

The Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net-Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050 aim to ultimately provide 100% of Dubai's energy production capacity from clean energy sources by 2050.

The procurement proceedings are under way for MBR Solar Park's seventh phase, which will include a 1,600MW solar PV plant and a 1,000MW battery energy storage system (bess) plant, providing up to six hours of storage.

The 250MW pumped hydropower storage project in Hatta is also nearing completion.