Electrical load approval, single-line diagram review, distribution board schedules, meter applications, water and drainage connections, and final energisation.
What DEWA governs
DEWA controls every electrical and water connection in Dubai. Any fit-out that adds load, relocates a distribution board, alters the incoming supply or requires a new meter needs DEWA approval before energisation. For most commercial fit-outs this runs in parallel with the Municipality and Civil Defence submissions rather than after them.
What the submission includes
- Connected and maximum demand load calculations
- Single-line diagram showing the full distribution arrangement
- Distribution board schedules and cable sizing calculations
- Earthing and bonding design
- Meter application and, where required, substation coordination
- Water supply and drainage connection details
Typical timeline
A straightforward load addition within the existing supply capacity clears in 5 to 15 working days. Where the requested load exceeds what the building can currently deliver, a substation or supply upgrade may be required, and that timeline is measured in months rather than days. This is the single most important thing to establish early, because it determines whether your programme is realistic.
Why load capacity matters first
We check available supply capacity before anything else on projects with significant electrical demand — commercial kitchens, data rooms, clinics with imaging equipment. Discovering a capacity shortfall after the fit-out is underway is the most expensive failure mode in the entire approval process, and it is entirely preventable with one early check.