Feb 04, 2025
Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen,
At the outset, I would like to thank you for attending the Media Briefing of the UAE's Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR), during which I will take you through some of key milestones in 2024 and our areas of focus during 2025.
FANR has been contributing significantly to the vision “We the UAE 2031" to achieve the nation's goals to be the safest and most secure country in the world. Thanks to our rigorous regulatory infrastructure and competent experts, we maintained our mandate to regulate the nuclear and radiation sector efficiently and effectively and having protected the public, workers and environment.
We implemented FANR's mandate in accordance with our 2023-2026 Strategy entitled “our vision, our promise". The strategy outlines our commitments to ensuring the sustainability of developing the regulatory infrastructure and the oversight of the nuclear and radiation sector in the UAE, and the support to the UAE government's vision. Such efforts contribute to achieving our vision to be globally recognized nuclear regulator.
Barakah Nuclear Power Plant
In September 2024, the UAE achieved a historic milestone when the Unit 4 of Barakah Nuclear Power plant entered commercial operations; hence, joining the previous three units in delivering electricity around-the-clock to the national grid and contributing to meeting the UAE's energy needs. FANR continued its robust oversight of the nuclear power plant by conducting 47 safety inspections in the areas of refueling, outage, Power Ascension Test and others. With the four units commercially operational, the UAE has become a successful role model for nuclear newcomer countries, who have shown interest to learn from FANR about its journey and experience from construction to operations.
FANR certified 267 Reactor Operators (ROs) and Senior Reactor Operators (SROs) at Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, as per our licensing requirements, to ensure their readiness and competency in operating the nuclear power plant.
Furthermore, FANR received the Periodic Safety Review for Barakah Unit 1 request from Nawah Energy Company (currently known as ENEC Operations), which will be conducted in 2025 by FANR's assessors, which will focus on the first five years of the unit's operating experience and other safety aspects. The Safety Review will address and assess important aspects, including plant design, aging management, safety culture, and other key factors to ensure the continued safe and secure operation of the power plant. The remaining Barakah units will undergo the standard Periodic Safety Review process mandated by the regulator, which typically covers 10 years of operational experience.
Amongst its goal to ensure the safety and resilience of nuclear facilities against the potential impacts of climate change, FANR launched “the Intelligent Operational Nuclear Safety (IONS)" in collaboration with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC). IONS, an environmental and climate monitoring system, provides a real-time information surrounding the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant including monitoring of sea levels, land and sea surface temperature, earthquakes and others that occurred or are expected to occur, including their severity and location, as well as estimations of their potential effects on nuclear installations.
Nuclear Non-Proliferation
FANR continues to carry out its mission as stipulated by the UAE's nuclear law that mandates it to regulate the nation's nuclear sector for peaceful purposes. In 2024, FANR carried out 50 safeguards-related inspections, as well as 96 import & export control inspections, to ensure the licensees' compliance with FANR's regulations.
As the UAE is committed to ensure nuclear non-proliferation globally, FANR cemented its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) through the UAE Safeguards Support Programme, which aims to assist the Agency's nuclear non-proliferation activities. It included supporting the IAEA's Comprehensive Capacity-Building Initiative which will help new comer countries to meet their safeguards obligations and apply new safeguards equipment. This support was recognized by the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi, where he lauded the UAE for its support to strengthen the international nuclear non-proliferation regime
Due to the rigorous regulatory infrastructure and commitment to international agreements, the IAEA stated in 2024 that the UAE achieved, for a second year in a row, a “Broader Conclusion" status as part of IAEA's Safeguards Implementation Report. It is the highest level of assurance provided by the Agency that the UAE has a peaceful nuclear energy programme and in full compliance with international conventions.
Meanwhile, continuing our practices to share expertise among countries and cement international cooperation, we hosted last year “UAE Nuclear Non-Proliferation Forum: Harnessing Innovation in Nuclear Non-Proliferation", where over 80 national and international experts gathered to discuss the current status of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime as well as nuclear import and export control systems.
Nuclear Security
FANR continues its mission to regulate radioactive sources, physical protection of nuclear material & nuclear facilities. In 2024, 58 security regulatory inspections conducted for licensee facilities using radioactive material and carried out 195 inspections for radioactive source transport vehicles. FANR conducted seven security-related inspections at Barakah Nuclear Power Plant to review all arrangement and implementation to ensure they are in compliance with regulatory requirements. We also took part in a cybersecurity exercise at the nuclear power plant in collaboration with national and international partners to test readiness and the capability to address any cyber incidents. Furthermore, FANR held across the year a number of exercises with security and law enforcement agencies to address incidents containing hazardous or radioactive material.
As part of our cooperation with the IAEA, we hosted the Technical Meeting on Lessons Learned from 20 Years of IAEA Support to Major Public Events, where 70 Member States participated to showcase measures for the prevention, detection and response to nuclear security incident involving nuclear or other radioactive materials. We also hosted technical meetings of the IAEA's Integrated Nuclear Security Sustainability Plan to discuss the development of a comprehensive nuclear security sustainability plan for the country.
Most notably, we issued last year a revised regulation on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and Nuclear Facilities and on Cyber Security.
The regulation outlines requirements for physical protection and cyber security requirements for nuclear facilities, transport of nuclear material within the UAE and also includes requirements for those planning development and/ or deployment of advanced nuclear technologies in the UAE.
Radiation Safety
Protecting the public and the environment represents the core of FANR's mandate. FANR launched another transformational project “the National Programme for Qualifying Nuclear and Radiological Emergency Workers" (TAHYAA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior. The project aims to develop the Emirati capacity by training 3,000 emergency workers in the field of nuclear or radiological emergencies across all relevant sectors in the UAE.
In another development, the Radiation Protection Committee, which is chaired by FANR and consisting of 16 federal and local government entities, contributed significantly in supporting the UAE's radiation protection infrastructure. In 2024, The RPC delivered multiple initiatives in the area of management of radioactive waste, the UAE as a destination for medical tourism, and strengthening UAE's laboratory capability in terms of radiation protection and others.
Meanwhile, FANR continued its regulatory mission by licensing and inspecting facilities that are using radiation sources, carrying out 210 inspections in medical and non-medical facilities. It also issued a total of 1,090 licenses for facilities and over 1600 import and export permits.
In addition, FANR's Secondary Standards Dosimetry Laboratory which is responsible for providing calibration services for radiation measurement equipment , carried out over 1,120 calibrations to customers from the UAE and abroad.
Nuclear Emergency Preparedness
As part of our regulatory mandate to ensure the emergency preparedness for nuclear power plants and other facilities in the UAE, in 2024, FANR conducted three inspections in the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant related to their emergency preparedness and response arrangements. It assessed the operator's emergency plans in terms of emergency training, coordination mechanism, staffing among others.
In addition, FANR continued its emergency preparedness activities by conducting and taking part in 18 nationally and internationally drills, including response efforts to trans-national nuclear emergencies as well as organizing 13 training workshops through its Emergency Operations Centre. Our emergency preparedness activities also included a joint exercise with our counterpart the Saudi Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Commission to assess and evaluate the effectiveness of emergency response systems between the two countries.
Demonstrating its robust capabilities, the UAE joined 43 countries under the IAEA's Response and Assistance Network, where it expresses readiness to provide international assistance to countries during a nuclear or radiological emergency.
Research and Development
FANR continued its efforts to boost its research and development capability as well as initiated safety-related R&D work with other partners. In 2024, FANR Board of Management approved its updated Research and Development Policy, which supports the development of regulatory infrastructure and operational capabilities. In 2024, FANR was engaged in 15 research collaboration agreements with many countries covering reactor materials, waste management, and radiation safety infrastructure, among others. We issued also a whitepaper to identify the key challenges and opportunities to strengthen the UAE's developments in Research and Development (R&D) in radiological protection, which will contribute to enhancing the radiation safety in the country.
Building Emirati Capacity in the Nuclear Sector
As part of our goal to build capacity of Emiratis, we launched the Emirates Nuclear and Radiation Academy (ENRA). ENRA is a digital academy works in alignment with the “We the UAE 2031" vision to make the nation as a 'Forward Economy', reflecting the UAE's belief in the importance of human capital as the main driver of the next 10-year development plan. Last year, we continue to empower our 84 inspectors under the Inspector Qualification Programme which has extensive training plans, job-shadowing activities and others.
Currently, FANR employs 254 staff members, of which 76% are Emiratis and women represent 45% of its workforce.
International Recognition
The UAE has been contributing and shaping the global nuclear landscape with its peaceful nuclear energy programme being a role model for many countries who are interested to benefit from the successful journey to where we are today.
Due to the international community trust in the UAE's nuclear experience and its competency , i am delighted to underscore that FANR was appointed in a number of international committees for its vast expertise and rich contributions to the industry. Such international representations reflect the trust of the international community in the UAE and the commitment of the country to share its expertise in the field. FANR is currently: chairing the Steering Committee on Regulatory Capacity Building of the IAEA; a Vice Chair of the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) Bureau; and a member the Eighth Term of its Commission on the Safety Standards (CSS) of the IAEA.
Moreover, FANR continued its extensive engagement with its stakeholders nationally and internationally. We work closely with the IAEA to support the safety and reliability of the UAE Nuclear Programme. We took part and hosted various meetings and workshops as part of the UAE's 2021-2027 Country Programme Framework that supported the nuclear and radiation sector in the area of safety, security and safeguards. We signed 8 agreements with various countries such as the Canada, South Korea, Hungary to cooperate on various regulatory matters.
Notably, we launched in collaboration with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission the first of its kind Whitepaper “Auditing Inspection Process—Nuclear Regulator".
The whitepaper is groundbreaking and marks a major achievement in the field of internal audits which are conducted within nuclear regulatory bodies and highlights the important role of internal audit within nuclear regulators.
Outlook
We are delighted to express our support to the government declaration to mark this year as the Year of Community. Such an inspiring initiative reflects the UAE's dedication to unity, cohesion and collaboration. Our mission to protect the community is an integral part of this drive and will continue to do so in our efforts in years to come.
FANR will contribute to the UAE vision to ensure the safe and secure operation of Barakah Nuclear Power Plant and regulate the sector in the UAE by developing and implementing its robust regulatory framework and systems which will further advance this industry.
As part of our efforts to innovate in our nuclear regulatory activities, we aim to launch this year the FANR Artificial Intelligence Strategy, which will focus on harnessing state-of-the-art technologies into the nuclear sector. We appointed last year Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, who is working with national and international partners to develop the strategy and support the sector. We aim to join the Trilateral Principles Paper on the Deployment of Artificial Intelligence in Nuclear Activities signed with the USA, Canada and UK.
During the upcoming World Government Summit, FANR will join a High-Level Roundtable on The Potential of Artificial Intelligence to Accelerate Small Modular Reactors, which is organized by FANR, the UAE's Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and the Nuclear Energy Agency and to be attended by 20 high level national and international nuclear officials.
We will further launch a number of transformational projects to support the UAE Government in achieving the vision “We the UAE 2031" to make the UAE 'the most secure and safe country in the world'", covering radiation safety and safeguards.
We plan to expand our international cooperation by exporting the UAE's expertise to nuclear newcomer countries to learn about the UAE's journey of building and operating a four-unit nuclear power plant. We will host the 8th International Symposium on the System of the Radiological Protection, to be held in October 2025 in Abu Dhabi where almost 600 experts will discuss recent trends and developments in radiation protection and applications, among other aspects.
Taking into consideration the nuclear landscape developments, the COP28 pledge to triple nuclear energy by 2050 and the introduction of new technologies such as SMR and AI, we will develop strategies strengthen the regulatory framework which will support the UAE's economy and carry out our mission to protect the public, workers and the environment.
Thank you