It reflects the success of the Emirati leadership in ensuring the country’s right to use nuclear energy to generate electricity, First Deputy Speaker of the Federal National Council, Ahmed bin Shabib Al Dhahiri told Khaleej Times on Thursday.
“The agreement is in compliance with the strategic objectives of the UAE as a model country in all fields, including peaceful use of nuclear energy,” he said. “The agreement has considered all the international standards.”
The deal that shall now go to the US Congress for approval is potentially worth billions of dollars to US energy companies, setting the stage for the US Congress to determine whether to block it or not, Reuters reported.
Major Ali Al Matroushi, chairman of FNC’s Internal Affairs Ad-hoc Committee, said the US approval was made in the light of the UAE policy of peace with all countries. “This won it international acclaim and is respected by all countries in the world.”
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs has welcomed the US presidential assent. “The agreement establishes a legal framework for commerce in civilian nuclear energy between the two countries,” official news agency Wam reported on Thursday.
“The UAE is establishing an innovative model, which should help reduce global non-proliferation concerns by demonstrating that nuclear energy can be used in a manner that is highly transparent, safe, secure and peaceful by design, and contributes to global efforts on non-proliferation,” said Hamad Al Kaabi, the UAE’s permanent representative to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Rapid growth here will create a critical need for clean baseload electricity in the future. The current level of generation will meet only half the national annual peak demand projected by 2020, Wam reported.
“After studying all viable forms of power generation the UAE has determined that nuclear energy could make a significant contribution to meeting the electricity requirements of the UAE,” Wam said.
Among the UAE’s key policy commitments in the deal would be to forgo any domestic fuel enrichment or reprocessing in favour of long-term fuel supply arrangements.
The UAE has already made other non-proliferation pledges, which includes signing an IAEA protocol that allows for inspection of its nuclear facilities, Wam said.