The UAE is working to deliver safe, clean and efficient nuclear energy. Nuclear reactors are destined to become the UAE's second most important source of energy in the UAE after natural gas, producing about 25 per cent of the UAE's electricity by 2020 and ensuring the continued economic development of the nation.

In October 2009, the late H. H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the then President of the UAE approved Federal Law by Decree No. 6 of 2009 Concerning the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy (PDF). The law established Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation as the UAE's nuclear regulatory body responsible for overseeing the peaceful nuclear energy sector within the country and the enforcer of nuclear safety and radiological protection standards. FANR will also be responsible for the licensing of operators in the nuclear sector and the monitoring of radiological materials.

In December 2009, the late Sheikh Khalifa established by decree Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) for implementing the UAE nuclear energy programme. ENEC specialises in the deployment, ownership and operation of nuclear power plants within the UAE.

The UAE's nuclear power plant has been set up at Baraka in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi. The plants have APR1400 nuclear reactors whose design was developed by Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO).

In February 2016, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) announced the completion of Cold Hydrostatic Testing (CHT) at Unit 1. The CHT checks that welds, joints, pipes and components of the reactor coolant system and associated high-pressure systems meet quality standards, as per the regulations of the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR).

Read about the UAE's achievements in nuclear energy.