ABU DHABI // The UAE has a message for those who doubt the country's ability to protect its future nuclear power plants: we can handle it. Mohammed Khalfan al Romaithy, general manager of the National Crisis and Emergency Response Authority (NCEMA), said the UAE would adopt recommendations for nuclear safety outlined at this week's Crisis and Emergency Management conference to help prove the country's commitment to the security of nuclear technology and as a response to critics.
"These recommendations will be studied and we'll adopt all the ones that were presented," Mr al Romaithy said. "We don't claim that we know everything. We hold these conferences to listen and learn from all these experiences." Along with the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation and the Critical National Infrastructure Authority, the NCEMA is in charge of developing a long-term plan to ensure the safety of the plants.
It is formalising agreements with federal and local agencies to co-operate in the event of an emergency. In December, the UAE signed a deal worth US$20 billion (Dh74bn) with a group of South Korean firms to build four nuclear power plants by 2020. Mr al Romaithy said the agency's plans spanned all kinds of threats. "Projects of this size need strict security plans," he said, noting the need to protect the staff at the reactors and the surrounding area. He mentioned Chernobyl reactor accident of 1986 as "something the world still talks about".
The incident at Chernobyl, Ukraine, is regarded as the worst accident at a nuclear plant. Fifty-six people died and thousands were affected by radiation poisoning when one of the plants overheated, causing a steam explosion and fire. While the UAE is prepared to take advantage of best practices stemming from the US and UK's civilian programmes, the country's situation presents it with unique advantages and disadvantages in dealing with threats, according to a western expert in regional counter-terrorism attending the conference who requested anonymity.
Attacks on nuclear plants carried great symbolic value, he said. "The symbolism is a key attraction to terrorist groups," he said. "The emirate of Abu Dhabi's nuclear programme will represent the pinnacle of its ambitions." An attack would be "low probability, high impact", he added. He likened the effect to militant attacks on Saudi Arabian oil wells that feature prominently in news reports, except "the stakes are far higher".
All this means UAE authorities will not spare any expense in securing the reactors, he said. "It is going to have the most comprehensive security measures seen in the Emirates for civil installations, probably with an armed presence authorised to use lethal force," he said. The country was likely to "adopt all the best practices from contributing nations, and the Emiratis don't cut corners in equipment".
The availability of large empty spaces in the UAE is also helpful in securing the reactors if they are built in the open, allowing law enforcement to secure the installations from afar. "In the UK, you can see the security wire for the reactor facilities on some main streets," he said. kshaheen@thenational.ae hdajani@thenational.ae