The middle east is going nuclear. The UAE will be launching its first reactors by the end of this year while Egypt and Kuwait are both in discussions to build their own.

Saudi Arabia is looking to build 16 reactors in the kingdom and will also be signing contracts soon.

According to the director general of the UAE’s Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR), Christer Viktorsson, there are 440 nuclear reactors operating around the world in 30 countries.

Currently Egypt is planning to have a nuclear plant running by 2024 located at El Dabaa, about 130 Kilometers northwest of Cairo.

Meanwhile Saudi Arabia announced that by 2032 the Kingdom is planning to supply a whopping 17.6 gigawatts of power generated from nuclear energy.

“For a new country establishing a nuclear program you have a lot of infrastructure elements in place,” Viktorsson said,

“The regulatory element is one but you also have to have a lot of international relations, sign conventions and agreements in order to ensure you do it in a safe manner, provide security to the population and do it in a peaceful manner,” he added.

Viktorsson also explained the measures taken to secure a nuclear power plant including security and environmental measures.

Source  english.alarabiya.net