National Progress Report: United Arab Emirates

Since the 2014 Nuclear Security Summit, the UAE has strengthened nuclear security framework and its implementation in the country while contributing to the development of global nuclear security architecture by…

…Strengthening Nuclear and Other Radioactive Material Security

The Government of the UAE has developed an effective nuclear security regime in line with the development of its peaceful nuclear power programme. UAE will host an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) International Physical Protection Advisory Service (IPPAS) Mission in 2016, which will review the physical protection system in the UAE and compare it with international guidelines and internationally recognized best practices.

Nuclear Security

UAE has endorsed the Amendment of the Convention of the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM). Although the amendment has not yet entered into force,  UAE regulation and regulatory guides have been developed in compliance with the Convention’s amended requirements.

The regulation for the Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials and Nuclear Facilities, issued in 2010, and its associated regulatory guides have been established in accordance with the IAEA Nuclear Security Series publications, in particular the Nuclear Security Recommendations on Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials and Nuclear Facilities publication (INFCIRC/225/Rev.5).

Since 2014, two new regulatory guides were developed and issued in regards to the security of the transport of nuclear material and to the contingency plan required at a nuclear facility.

In 2014, UAE hosted an IAEA workshop on the security of transport of nuclear materials.

     Radiological Security

The UAE regulation for the security of radioactive sources has been developed in accordance with the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive as well as the related IAEA safety and security standards, which the Government of the UAE endorsed

After the issuance of the regulation (FANR regulation 23) in 2011, licensees managing category 1 to 3 radioactive sources in the UAE were required to implement it immediately. Since then all required nuclear security plans were reviewed and approved by the regulator, and inspections of all concerned licensees were achieved to verify the implementation and conformance with the new regulation.

Information Protection and Cyber Security

The Information Protection Program Operating Manual (IPPOM), defining the management of sensitive nuclear information in the UAE, was updated and is currently implemented by relevant entities in the nuclear sector such as Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR), Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) and Critical Infrastructure and Coastal Protection Authority (CICPA).

UAE Regulation and the associated regulatory guides are based on the IAEA publication, Protection against cyber-attack has been taken into account in various FANR regulations developed between 2009 and 2015.

The UAE hosted an IAEA national workshop on cyber security in 2014.

…Countering Nuclear Smuggling

To meet the requirements of import and export control rules, the UAE nuclear regulator, FANR has issued in 2014 an updated Regulation on the Export and Import Control of Nuclear Material, Nuclear Related Items and Nuclear Related Dual-Use Items.

The Government of the UAE is an active member in the international information sharing on the illicit trafficking of nuclear materials through its participation of the IAEA Incident and Trafficking Database (ITDB).

The UAE participated and supported the convening of IAEA sub-regional meeting on nuclear security information exchange and coordination in October 2015 in Kuwait. This meeting, aimed at strengthening national, regional and international capacity to prevent and combat illicit trafficking in nuclear and other radioactive material through enhanced information cooperation.

…Supporting Multilateral Instruments

The Government of the United Arab Emirates strongly supports the universal implementation of the International Convention on Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terror (ICSANT), as well as the Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials (CPPNM) and its 2005 Amendment.

The UAE provided to the United Nations (UN) 1540 Committee, its national report as well as the associated matrix.

The UAE law, regulations and regulatory guides which are enforced have been established in accordance with the amended CPPNM, UAE continues to promote the entry into force of amended CPPNM at international and regional venues.

…Collaborating with International Organizations

The Government of the UAE supports the activities of the IAEA through ongoing participation at workshops, Nuclear Security Guidance Committee meetings and by providing experts to meetings regarding the development of Nuclear Security Series publications.

UAE is an active promoter and participant of the (IAEA) Network for Nuclear Security Training and Support Centres - NSSC Network. UAE hosted a Regional Training Course on Introduction to Nuclear Forensics in Dubai in October 2015.

An Integrated master Working Plan (IWP) was signed in 2013 between the UAE and the IAEA, which aims to enhance, for the period of 2013-2017, the efficiency and effectiveness of the partnership between the UAE and the IAEA, including in the nuclear security domain.

For ensuring the sustainability of its nuclear security regime, an Integrated Security Support Plan (INSSP) for UAE was signed in August 2012 between the UAE and IAEA and continued to be implemented through 2016

The UAE has received an IAEA International SSAC Advisory Service (ISSAS) in May 2014 and an Emergency Preparedness Review (EPREV) mission in March 2015.  The ISSAS mission covers all aspects of nuclear material safeguards implementation including export control, and nuclear material accounting.

The UAE hosted in Abu Dhabi, the Inter-Arab Nuclear Detection and Response Exercise, FALCON, in February 2016, which aimed at promoting regional approaches in matters of nuclear detection and response to nuclear and other radiological threats and enhancing national and regional interagency coordination and cooperation. The exercise has been developed under the framework of the European Union (EU), Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear (CBRN) Centers of Excellence (CoE) Initiative by the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), in partnership with the UAE, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Kingdom of Morocco, the European Commission and the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT).

…Partnering with External Stakeholders

With regard to bilateral agreements on nuclear security, the UAE has concluded a number of nuclear cooperation agreements in support of its civil nuclear power programme. To date, 9 bilateral agreements have been concluded. In addition, multiple MoUs have been signed between FANR, the nuclear regulator and several foreign entities. Such arrangements allowed for further cooperation in areas including nuclear security and continued to be valuable interface for cooperation and knowledge exchange in relation to nuclear security.

The UAE in cooperation with USA entities established the Gulf Nuclear Energy Infrastructure Institute (GNEII) in Abu Dhabi, an educational institution that provides classroom instruction and hands-on experience in nuclear energy safety, security, safeguards and non-proliferation. GNEII is associated with Khalifa University of Science Technology and Research.