ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — The United Arab Emirates has fully met its obligations under nuclear nonproliferation agreements with the International Atomic Energy Agency, including the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and the Additional Protocol, the head of the country’s nuclear regulator said Wednesday.
Christer Viktorsson, director-general of the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation, or FANR, said the IAEA confirmed that the UAE achieved the “broader conclusion” status in 2025 for the third consecutive year. That designation represents the agency’s highest level of assurance that all nuclear material in the country remains in peaceful activities.
Speaking at a media briefing, Viktorsson said 78% of FANR’s nuclear inspectors are Emirati nationals.
He said the authority has maintained strong oversight of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, conducting 36 inspections in 2025 — equivalent to nearly 1,300 person-days — covering nuclear safety, security, radiation protection and nonproliferation.
“Barakah is currently the largest source of electricity in the UAE, providing approximately 25% of the country’s power needs,” Viktorsson said. “With all four units commercially operational, the UAE has become a successful role model for nuclear newcomer countries, many of which have expressed interest in learning from FANR’s regulatory journey.”
In 2025, FANR certified more than 40 reactor operators and senior reactor operators, bringing the total number of certified personnel at Barakah to 300 — a key factor in ensuring safe operations.
As Unit 1 of Barakah enters its fifth year of operation, FANR is reviewing a periodic safety review submitted by Nawah Energy Company. The review covers plant design, aging management, safety culture and other critical safety factors.
FANR also oversaw refueling and maintenance activities across all four units during the year.
On safeguards and nonproliferation, FANR carried out 48 safeguards-related inspections and 98 import/export control inspections in 2025 to verify compliance.
The authority strengthened cooperation with the IAEA through the UAE Safeguards Support Programme and supported the agency’s Comprehensive Capacity-Building Initiative for newcomer countries. FANR also contributed to the IAEA’s COMPASS initiative by providing technical assistance to Bangladesh, including a review of its import-export control framework — work the IAEA recognized as supporting the international nonproliferation regime.
In nuclear security, FANR conducted 59 regulatory inspections at facilities using radioactive material and 322 inspections of vehicles transporting radioactive sources.
FANR integrated its Vehicle Inspection System with the UAE Federal Traffic and Licensing System, reducing licensing time from five days to 15 minutes and supporting the government’s zero-bureaucracy initiative.
The authority received the “Best Incident Response” award at the Cybersecurity Awards 2025 for enhancing its cyber resilience.
During 2025, FANR issued about 1,770 licenses to medical and nonmedical facilities and more than 1,600 import/export permits for radiation sources. It conducted 227 inspections of facilities using radiation sources, and its Secondary Standards Dosimetry Laboratory performed about 1,600 equipment calibrations.
Viktorsson announced the graduation of the first cohort from the National Programme for Qualifying Nuclear and Radiological Emergency Workers, launched in 2024 with the Ministry of Interior to train 3,000 emergency personnel.
FANR conducted or participated in 15 national and international emergency drills — including scenarios involving transboundary nuclear emergencies — and delivered 10 specialized nuclear emergency training courses to more than 60 personnel.
The authority is involved in 12 active national and international research projects and launched the Regulatory Research Programme in 2025 to fund national research in radionuclides, nuclear safety and related fields. In 2026, the program will support five research projects in collaboration with the Emirates Nuclear Technology Centre, Khalifa University and other partners.
FANR has 245 employees, 79% of whom are Emirati nationals; 73% of Emiratis work in technical roles. The authority has qualified more than 90 inspectors and launched the Emirates Nuclear and Radiation Academy Ambassadors Programme at the University of Sharjah, with more than 740 students enrolled.
Viktorsson said FANR signed 10 memoranda of understanding and cooperation agreements with national and international partners and continues to play a leading role in the global nuclear community.
He said the authority has adopted its 2027–2029 strategy, which focuses on strengthening the UAE’s nuclear and radiation regulatory framework in line with national priorities. The strategy rests on three pillars: nuclear governance and regulatory leadership; nuclear and radiological safety, security and safeguards; and preparedness and response to nuclear and radiological emergencies. It is supported by cross-cutting efforts in capacity building and innovation.