The United Arab Emirates used a key international review in Vienna to argue that its nuclear programme has moved into a more mature phase, presenting its Tenth National Report at the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Review Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention on Nuclear Safety. The session, running from 13 to 24 April 2026, is part of a three-year peer-review cycle under the convention, which has been in force since 1996 and is designed to test how states are meeting their obligations on nuclear safety.
Abu Dhabi said the report set out the legislative, regulatory and operational steps taken since the previous cycle, with the Barakah nuclear power plant at the centre of the presentation. Officials told the meeting that all four units at Barakah have now moved into full commercial operation, a milestone that shifts attention from construction and licensing to long-term operating performance, oversight, maintenance and workforce capability. The UAE also said the report reflected continued adherence to transparency and international cooperation, themes that have been central to its civil nuclear policy since the programme’s early years.
That transition matters because Barakah is no longer a test case for whether the country can build a nuclear plant, but for whether it can run a four-reactor fleet safely and consistently over decades. ENEC says the plant now generates about 40 terawatt-hours of electricity a year and supplies up to a quarter of the country’s power, while outside industry data also places the contribution at around 25 per cent. The project’s scale has turned it into the largest single source of clean electricity in the country and the first multi-unit operational nuclear plant in the region, giving the UAE a degree of strategic weight in global discussions over new nuclear deployment.
The chronology of Barakah’s development has been closely watched by regulators and industry executives alike. According to ENEC, the operating licence for Unit 1 was issued in February 2020, followed by Unit 2 in March 2021, Unit 3 in June 2022 and Unit 4 in November 2023. World Nuclear Association data shows the four units were connected to the grid in August 2020, September 2021, October 2022 and March 2024 respectively. ENEC later said Unit 4 entered commercial operations on 5 September 2024, completing the four-unit project.
UAE officials used the Vienna meeting to emphasise that the programme’s expansion has been matched by an evolving regulatory structure. The report said the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation had updated rules covering physical protection and cybersecurity at nuclear facilities, strengthened certification requirements for operating staff, and issued further guidance on the security and safe transport of radioactive material. It also pointed to a regulatory masterplan for 2025 to 2029, intended to prepare for emerging technologies and future oversight needs. Those details suggest the UAE wants to show that its safety case is not static, particularly at a time when the nuclear sector is grappling with cyber risk, supply-chain pressure and a global push for new reactors.
The operating side of the story is just as important. Nawah Energy Company, the plant operator, has pointed to refuelling outages, maintenance performance and internal safety culture as evidence that Barakah is moving into routine but tightly supervised operations. ENEC said in September 2024 that Barakah and its teams had undergone more than 496 inspections by FANR, more than 84 reviews by the World Association of Nuclear Operators and 15 IAEA missions. That inspection burden is likely to be cited by supporters of the programme as proof that the UAE’s model rests on external scrutiny as much as domestic ambition.
There is also a wider policy calculation behind the safety messaging. Nuclear power has become more politically valuable as governments seek reliable low-carbon electricity for industry, desalination, artificial intelligence infrastructure and electrification. ENEC argues that Barakah avoids more than 22 million tonnes of carbon emissions a year and supports the country’s decarbonisation goals, while Reuters reported last year that the UAE was considering a second nuclear plant that could double its reactor fleet. FANR said at the time it stood ready to review any such proposal should the government decide to proceed.
Abu Dhabi said the report set out the legislative, regulatory and operational steps taken since the previous cycle, with the Barakah nuclear power plant at the centre of the presentation. Officials told the meeting that all four units at Barakah have now moved into full commercial operation, a milestone that shifts attention from construction and licensing to long-term operating performance, oversight, maintenance and workforce capability. The UAE also said the report reflected continued adherence to transparency and international cooperation, themes that have been central to its civil nuclear policy since the programme’s early years.
That transition matters because Barakah is no longer a test case for whether the country can build a nuclear plant, but for whether it can run a four-reactor fleet safely and consistently over decades. ENEC says the plant now generates about 40 terawatt-hours of electricity a year and supplies up to a quarter of the country’s power, while outside industry data also places the contribution at around 25 per cent. The project’s scale has turned it into the largest single source of clean electricity in the country and the first multi-unit operational nuclear plant in the region, giving the UAE a degree of strategic weight in global discussions over new nuclear deployment.
The chronology of Barakah’s development has been closely watched by regulators and industry executives alike. According to ENEC, the operating licence for Unit 1 was issued in February 2020, followed by Unit 2 in March 2021, Unit 3 in June 2022 and Unit 4 in November 2023. World Nuclear Association data shows the four units were connected to the grid in August 2020, September 2021, October 2022 and March 2024 respectively. ENEC later said Unit 4 entered commercial operations on 5 September 2024, completing the four-unit project.
UAE officials used the Vienna meeting to emphasise that the programme’s expansion has been matched by an evolving regulatory structure. The report said the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation had updated rules covering physical protection and cybersecurity at nuclear facilities, strengthened certification requirements for operating staff, and issued further guidance on the security and safe transport of radioactive material. It also pointed to a regulatory masterplan for 2025 to 2029, intended to prepare for emerging technologies and future oversight needs. Those details suggest the UAE wants to show that its safety case is not static, particularly at a time when the nuclear sector is grappling with cyber risk, supply-chain pressure and a global push for new reactors.
The operating side of the story is just as important. Nawah Energy Company, the plant operator, has pointed to refuelling outages, maintenance performance and internal safety culture as evidence that Barakah is moving into routine but tightly supervised operations. ENEC said in September 2024 that Barakah and its teams had undergone more than 496 inspections by FANR, more than 84 reviews by the World Association of Nuclear Operators and 15 IAEA missions. That inspection burden is likely to be cited by supporters of the programme as proof that the UAE’s model rests on external scrutiny as much as domestic ambition.
There is also a wider policy calculation behind the safety messaging. Nuclear power has become more politically valuable as governments seek reliable low-carbon electricity for industry, desalination, artificial intelligence infrastructure and electrification. ENEC argues that Barakah avoids more than 22 million tonnes of carbon emissions a year and supports the country’s decarbonisation goals, while Reuters reported last year that the UAE was considering a second nuclear plant that could double its reactor fleet. FANR said at the time it stood ready to review any such proposal should the government decide to proceed.
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