(Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates) — The International Advisory Board (IAB), a team of global nuclear experts mandated to oversee the United Arab Emirates’ (U.A.E.) civil nuclear power program, released its second semi-annual report on Sunday.  The new report examines the U.A.E.’s progress since the Board’s first report, issued last October, and is focused on the development of the country’s peaceful nuclear energy program.

In the report’s introductory note, Dr. Hans Blix, Chairman of the IAB, praised the efforts of U.A.E. government and the country’s nuclear entities to develop a successful and sustainable civil nuclear energy program.  Dr. Blix affirmed that IAB’s Board felt “satisfied in the progress the program is making” and expressed IAB’s “gratitude to those entities and the Government of the U.A.E. for their efforts in addressing the [first] report’s recommendations.”

Prior to releasing the semi-annual progress report, members of IAB received briefings from the U.A.E.’s Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Critical National Infrastructure Authority (CNIA), Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC), and Khalifa University of Science, Technology, and Research (KUSTAR).  The briefings addressed the U.A.E.’s efforts to adhere to the IAB’s initial recommendations in the five focus areas of safety, security, non-proliferation, transparency, and sustainability.  Following the briefings, the IAB produced the report based on their findings.

1. Safety

The report highlighted the strength of the U.A.E.’s nuclear regulatory and operational safety infrastructure and commended the U.A.E. on its efforts to establish a peer review program with its counterparts in other countries.

2. Security

The report underscored the need for additional dialogue between the CNIA and FANR with regards to the maintenance of physical security for the program and the clear establishment of responsibilities of both entities to avoid responsibility gaps and overlap.

3. Non-Proliferation

The IAB was pleased with the U.A.E.’s strong commitment to non-proliferation and encouraged the country to report regularly on the implementation of international agreements and development of the regulatory and legislative framework for nuclear export/import control.

4. Transparency

The Board was pleased with the comprehensiveness of the U.A.E.’s civil nuclear public awareness program and encouraged ENEC to work to maintain high public approval ratings.  The Board recommended that FANR, ENEC, and CNIA collaborate to ensure the proper dissemination of public information regarding possible nuclear waste disposal management and the potential consequences of nuclear accidents.

5. Sustainability

The report lauded the U.A.E. on the progress of its nuclear liability research, but highlighted sustainability as an area for further development and exploration.  IAB requested that ENEC and KUSTAR present a plan for the U.A.E. to expand its human resource capabilities in the areas of nuclear safety research, long-term fuel supply, nuclear facility decommissioning, and the management of nuclear waste at the next meeting.

The IAB’s assessments of the country’s civil nuclear program revealed both its rapid progress and continued need for development. Moreover, the IAB praised the U.A.E. for its commitment to transparency and non-proliferation throughout the development process, which according the IAB report, “deserves special praise from the international community.”

In its conclusion, the IAB report set out additional agenda items for consideration for the next meeting of the Board. The proposed items for consideration included: nuclear technology transfer and local educational development, nuclear power plant site selection and risk evaluation, planned community development around the nuclear sites, and plans for the protection of the sites from both a cyber and physical security standpoint.

To read the full IAB progress report, please visit: http://www.uaeiab.ae/publications.php