Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt are following the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Iran in pursuing nuclear power. In a war-torn region where tensions are rising there is concern about where this may lead, even though it is not clear if these projects will ever be realized. Although the Barakah project marks a paradigm shift toward energy diversification in the region, the UAE’s results on the nuclear front may not be easily replicated.
The Barakah project in Abu Dhabi has been hailed by the nuclear industry as a major success story and a harbinger of an expanded role for nuclear in the region. While many proposed nuclear projects in the Middle East have been delayed for years — or even decades — bogged down in political and economic issues, the UAE has had the required conditions to see its project to fruition, despite facing its own time and cost overruns. So, what makes the Barakah project different? And what are the factors that have contributed to the progress of the Emirati nuclear power program and hindered other programs in the region? Four major factors helped put the project significantly and distinctively on the map.
