On July 17, 2012, the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) of the UAE granted the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) a license to construct two nuclear power plants (NPP) at its proposed Barakah site in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi Emirate. It was the outcome of extensive efforts by more than 200 nuclear technical experts at home and abroad over a period of 18 months. The reviewers scrutinized submissions by ENEC covering all required topics, including the adequacy of the proposed sites, the design of the facility, the safety analysis, radiation safety measures, physical protection, and safeguards. The FANR concluded that the design met all applicable technical and legal requirements and that reactor construction could begin; this approval would be complemented by a subsequent Operations License, which must be obtained before nuclear fuel loading. To put this regulatory approval into a global context: according to the IAEA database, the UAE became the first “newcomer” country in 31 years to authorize the construction of its first NPP since China did so in 1981, and this would be the first NPP ever to be built in the Arab world.

Major UAE Nuclear Milestones

In many respects, the UAE represents a model for the introduction of nuclear energy to a nation for the first time. It can be traced back to the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, which was promulgated in 2008.