The University of Sharjah (UoS), through the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Studies, organised a scientific symposium titled “AI and Digital Twin for Energy Applications,” in collaboration with the Sharjah Electricity, Water, and Gas Authority (SEWA).

The symposium aimed to highlight the applications of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital twin technology, emphasising their role in enhancing energy efficiency and improving institutional services.

The event was attended by Prof. Maamar Bettayeb, Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Studies, along with several research center directors, faculty members, students, and representatives from various SEWA departments.

The symposium opened with speeches from distinguished representatives of UoS and SEWA. Prof. Maamar Bettayeb, Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Studies, highlighted the strong collaboration between UoS and SEWA across various research fields, emphasising its role in advancing innovation and sustainability. Prof. Abdul Ghani Olabi, Director of the Sustainable Energy and Power Systems Research Center, underscored the University’s commitment to impactful research in energy applications.

Ahmed Aylan Alshamsi, Sustainability Engineer at SEWA, spoke on SEWA’s efforts to leverage advanced technologies like AI and digital twins to enhance energy efficiency and services.

During the symposium, Prof. Abbes Amira, Dean of the College of Computing and Informatics at the University of Sharjah, delivered a presentation titled “Driving Energy Efficiency and Smarter User Behavior with AIoT: AI and Energy Applications.” He addressed technologies and local initiatives involving AI applications across various organisations.

Khalid Diab, Customer Service Operations Consultant at SEWA, presented “Nafaa,” SEWA’s AI-powered virtual assistant, which provides fully automated customer support and promptly addresses user needs, ensuring seamless and effective service delivery. Dr. Concetta Semeraro from the College of Engineering at UoS discussed the use of digital twin technology for energy applications.

The event also featured a panel discussion titled “The Journey of SEWA's Digital Transformation & Using AI in the Service,” chaired by Prof. Fatih Kurugollu, Acting Director of the Cybersecurity and Data Analytics Research Center at UoS. Experts from SEWA and UoS, including Khalid Diab, Anand Subramanian, Prof. Huseyin Seker, and Prof. Mohammad Ali Abdelkareem, discussed SEWA’s practical deployment of AI to enhance customer service and achieve key business goals.

The panel also addressed critical success factors for implementing AI, the risks associated with its use, and strategies to mitigate them. Additionally, they emphasised the importance of collaboration between industry and academia to drive innovation and explored future developments in AI.

In addition, the symposium featured a project exhibition and competition showcasing innovative student work in the fields of artificial intelligence, digital twins, and energy applications. The event concluded with the announcement of the winners, including Students Omar Al Attar, Idriss Taleb, and Ali Ahmad, whose project titled "Live Analysis RAG AI Chatbot System for DCMD (Direct Contact Membrane Distillation) Process" stood out for its innovation and technical excellence.

The project was supervised by Dr. Muhammad Tawalbeh. The winners were also awarded a 3-month internship opportunity at SEWA, providing them with valuable hands-on experience.