Jaber Mohamed Al Shuaibi, Emirati Researcher in Geopolitical Issues
26 July 2020
Pro-activeness is the key word behind devoting the superiority in adopting unconventional fields such as the ability to produce a mix of clean and renewable energy in the post-oil era. The declaration of the Emirati success in operating the first Arab peaceful nuclear reactor affirm that the true value of the nuclear power lies in the peaceful use of it otherwise, it’s an illusion that turns into a curse that threatens the world safety and peace.
The United Arab Emirates succeeded to gain the confidence of the international community as it signed 13 international agreements and treaty regarding the nuclear power safety. And here it is now enjoying the benefits of this confidence as a moderate civilized state led by Zayed and opened to the world since its establishment. The United Arab Emirates is a state that believe in the peace and tolerance values and proud of the woman participation in the work beside the man. Despite the repercussion of the pandemic widespread, the Emirati leadership continue to make progress towards the UAE Golden Jubilee and enhance its position in leading the Arab developmental aspirations providing decent livelihoods for all who reside on the UAE land. It also overcomes several challenges through ensuring compliance with the safety standards to operate the reactors and imposing a strict system to monitor the nuclear technology use in addition to transfer knowledge to national personnel of engineers specialized in the nuclear technology, 20% of which are women, which is one of the highest rates in this sector around the world. Nuclear power will provide the Emirates with the quarter of its populations’ need of the electricity for 60 years, the operational lifetime of Barakah Nuclear Power Plant which will enable the Emirates to keep pace with the economic growth speed and the population boom and the state obligations in the field of the world environment protection. In addition, there is accompanying initiatives in the Emirati society about raising awareness of the peaceful nuclear power importance and enhancing energy efficiency through rationalizing electricity consumption rates.
Despite the multiplicity of the bodies charged with producing electricity, the Emirati energy strategy 2050 represents unified efforts of the seven emirates together. With the support of the wise leadership of His Highness Shiekh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Head of state, may Allah protect him, the nuclear power will help meeting the electricity needs of the seven emirates which varies relatively due to the geographical size and population, beside the other energy resources to ensure the balance between production and consumption and minimize risks even in the worst scenarios of electricity cut. This will likely support the future idea of establishing an authority in the United Arab Emirates to achieve the electrical interconnection between the States of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
The proactive decision of the United Arab Emirates as an oil producing nation, and its progressive transformation from producing energy from the depleted natural resources to producing the clean and sustainable does not help only in gaining a share in the global energy market in the future or stimulate the knowledge- based economy, but it is also a successful strategic decision increases the United Arab Emirates competitively as an ascending Arab force in the international and regional who has its own envisage of how should be the international system and its future structure out of the UAE identity and its distinguished geographical location and its leading role in considering man an absolute priority and the base of the communities happiness in the region and the world.
