Abu Dhabi, UAE – 17 October 2019:  The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) has renewed its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of peaceful uses of nuclear energy with Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation (ROSATOM). The signing was held in Abu Dhabi on the sidelines of the official visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to the United Arab Emirates.

The document was signed, by His Excellency Engineer Mohamed Al Hammadi, Chief Executive Officer of ENEC, and Alexey Likhachev, Director General of ROSATOM, during a ceremony attended by senior officials from both ENEC and ROSATOM. The Memorandum signed extends the activities conducted through a previous MoU signed in 2017.

The Memorandum establishes a general framework for possible cooperation between parties in numerous spheres, including the creation of a nuclear science center in the UAE, plant development and investment, nuclear fuel cycle management, training of UAE Nationals, amongst others. 

His Excellency Engineer Mohamed Al Hammadi, Chief Executive Officer of ENEC said: “This is a significant step forward in our long-standing relationship with ROSATOM, and we look forward to continuing to explore opportunities for cooperation across a wide range of fields within the peaceful nuclear energy sector. Such cooperation is the result of our commitment to working with international partners to benefit from the global cumulative experience of the nuclear energy industry and ensure the highest standards of quality, safety and security as we develop the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program.” 

Alexey Likhachev, Director General of ROSATOM said: “We are very optimistic about our cooperation with the UAE in the peaceful use of nuclear energy. ROSATOM and ENEC have been working in the nuclear fuel cycle area for many years. At the same time, collaboration can be extended in many other different directions, which is quite promising for both sides. We can consider the possibility of developing nuclear power projects, and collaboration over non-energy nuclear projects. Our Emirati partners can be confident that ROSATOM is ready to share its vast expertise at all levels.”    

The MoU comes within the framework of ENEC’s strategy to draw on the expertise of a number of companies based in countries with established nuclear energy programs.  This supports the achievements of the highest standards for quality and safety at the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, as well as providing excellent opportunities for knowledge transfer.