Fibre backbone
Managed DEWA’s fibre network and led its expansion planning; delivered OPGW and underground fibre projects on time and on budget.
Dubai, UAE Telecom & OT Cybersecurity Leader
Mostafa Said.
29 years running mission-critical utility networks — the last 15 at DEWA, leading the telecom backbone and substation OT security of Dubai’s grid.
- Availability
- 99.99%
- Fibre added
- 400+ km
- OPGW replaced
- 100+ km
- Now
- Deputy Senior Manager
sustained across the grid telecom network
underground & OPGW routes at DEWA
migrated to higher-capacity fibre
Telecom & OT Security · since 2024
Profile
“I lead telecom and cybersecurity maintenance & commissioning for Dubai’s grid: SDH/PDH, MPLS IP, the fibre/OPGW backbone, and substation security.”
- Role
- Deputy Senior Manager, Telecom & OT Security
- Organisation
- Dubai Electricity & Water Authority
- Experience
- 29 years · since 1997
- Base
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Education
- MSc Electrical Engineering, Alexandria University
- Languages
- Arabic · English
Spec sheetMS-001
Telecom foundation
Built the telecom foundation for DEWA’s smart grid, covering Advanced Metering Infrastructure and Distribution Automation.
Technology direction
Member of DEWA’s technical specification teams, helping decide which technologies the utility adopts.
By the figures
29yrs
Running mission-critical utility networks
Two national utilities · Egypt → UAE
99.99%
Network availability sustained through reliability-centred maintenance
DEWA · 2024 → Present
400+km
Of fibre added to DEWA’s network across underground and OPGW routes
DEWA · 2011 → 2019
100+km
Of OPGW replaced with higher-capacity fibre cable
DEWA · 2024 → Present
60+
Substations with telecom systems installed, commissioned and tested
EETC · Alexandria · 66 kV
20
Engineers and technicians hired and trained to meet network demand
DEWA · 2011 → 2019
Experience
DEWA
Dubai Electricity & Water Authority
-
CurrentSep 2024 → Present
Deputy Senior Manager, Telecom & OT Security
- Leads commissioning and maintenance of DEWA’s grid telecom network (SDH/PDH, MPLS IP) and the fibre backbone serving Dubai’s substations.
- Owns cybersecurity commissioning and maintenance for substation OT assets, including firewalls and security solutions across hundreds of substations.
- Directs reliability-centred maintenance plans for telecom, fibre and OT security infrastructure, sustaining 99.99% network availability.
- Replaced 100+ km of OPGW with higher-capacity fibre, and set the capacity planning criteria and migration plan for the network.
- Leading the build of a digital twin of DEWA’s fibre optic network for real-time monitoring, fault localisation and operational planning.
- Shapes procurement as a member of DEWA’s technical specification teams for telecom and cybersecurity systems.
-
Oct 2019 → Sep 2024
Manager, Telecom Infrastructure & Smart Grid
- Delivered the fibre network expansion supporting Expo 2020 Dubai on schedule.
- Established the RF-Mesh infrastructure for DEWA’s smart meter rollout (AMI) and improved coverage for AMI and Distribution Automation.
- Evaluated and piloted multiple smart grid telecom solutions, leading the selection for AMI.
- Migrated telecom asset management to SAP EAM.
- Co-authored the new technical specification for 132 kV substations; served on the OHL and Telecom specialist committees for vendor prequalification, factory inspections and failure investigations.
-
Sep 2011 → Oct 2019
Deputy Manager, Fibre
- Expanded DEWA’s fibre network by more than 400 km across underground and OPGW routes.
- Grew the team by hiring and training 20 engineers and technicians to meet expanding network demand.
- Implemented fibre optic monitoring systems, raising availability and speeding up fault detection.
- Deployed digital PLC, microwave, G3-PLC, PRIME and BPL solutions for a pilot smart grid project.
- Reduced costs by negotiating with suppliers and running ISO 9001 audits to qualify new vendors and contractors; delivered network enhancement projects within budget.
EETC
Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company
-
Jul 1997 → Sep 2011
Senior Telecommunications Engineer
- Installed, commissioned and tested telecom systems for 60+ substations feeding the Alexandria Regional Control Center (66 kV network).
- Worked with KEMA consultants to deliver the Alexandria Regional Control Center (ARCC) project.
- Delivered turnkey communications packages: RTUs (GE Harris D20, ABB RTU560, Siemens), SDH/PDH, microwave, power line carrier, fibre (ADSS, OPGW, underground) and 48 VDC systems.
- Represented the company at factory acceptance tests in Germany (Siemens, Nokia PDH) and France (Alcatel Fibre Optic).
- Prepared tenders for RTUs, PDH equipment, fibre cables and power systems.
Signature work
A digital twin of DEWA’s fibre network
Leading the build of a digital twin for DEWA’s fibre optic network — real-time visibility for monitoring, fault localisation and operational planning.
Expo 2020 Dubai
Delivered the fibre network expansion supporting Expo 2020 Dubai, on schedule.
AMI RF-Mesh
Established the RF-Mesh infrastructure for DEWA’s smart meter rollout and led the AMI technology selection.
OPGW migration
100+ km of OPGW replaced with higher-capacity fibre, with the capacity planning criteria and migration plan to match.
132 kV substation specification
Co-authored DEWA’s new technical specification for 132 kV substations.
Regional Control Center
Delivered the ARCC project with KEMA consultants, commissioning telecom for 60+ substations.
Factory acceptance tests
Represented EETC at FATs with Siemens and Nokia PDH in Germany, and Alcatel Fibre Optic in France.
Capabilities
C-1Grid telecom
- SDH / PDH
- MPLS IP
- Fibre — ADSS · OPGW · underground
- Microwave
- Power line carrier
- RTUs
- 48 VDC systems
- Fibre optic monitoring
C-2OT cybersecurity
- Substation OT security
- Firewalls & security solutions
- Security commissioning
- Information security management
- Reliability-centred maintenance
C-3Smart grid
- AMI · RF-Mesh
- Distribution Automation
- G3-PLC
- PRIME
- BPL
- Digital PLC
- Digital twin
C-4Leadership & governance
- Project management
- Technical specifications
- Vendor prequalification
- Factory acceptance testing
- Tendering & procurement
- ISO 9001 audits
- Budget ownership
- SAP EAM
- Team building
Certifications
- ISO/IEC 42001:2023 — Understanding and Implementing the AI Management System (AIMS) Standard
- Scrum: Advanced
- Organizational Thought Leadership
- Essential New Skills in Project Management
- Creating Flowcharts for Beginners
Education
Master’s degree, Electrical Engineering
Alexandria University
Bachelor’s degree, Communication Engineering
Alexandria University
العربية Arabic · English
Native or bilingual proficiency in both
Open a channel.
Available for senior leadership conversations in grid telecom, OT cybersecurity and smart grid infrastructure.