ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — The United Arab Emirates said Monday it has issued a license for a reactor at its Barakah nuclear power plant, the first in the Arab world, hailing a “historic moment.”
The national nuclear regulator “has approved the issuance” of the operating license for the first of four reactors at the plant, said Hamad al-Kaabi, the UAE representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
“This is a historic moment for the UAE, making it the first Arab country in the region to operate a nuclear power plant,” Kaabi told a press conference.
“This milestone was achieved due to the UAE’s vision and its leadership to build a peaceful nuclear energy program to cater for the future needs of energy in the country.”
The Barakah plant, located on the Gulf coast west of the UAE’s capital, had been due to come online in late 2017 but faced a number of delays that officials attributed to safety and regulatory requirements. READ MORE
