The graduation of 40 Emiratis as nuclear engineers is a significant landmark for the U.A.E. in its strategic project of building the nuclear power plant at Al Baraka in Abu Dhabi, opined a U.A.E. daily.
"When it started, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, ENEC, insisted on a substantial transfer of skills and knowledge as part of the deal with lead contractor KEPCO of South Korea," said Gulf News in its editorial on Tuesday.
It continued: "Building self-reliance in both energy and skills was a crucial part of the U.A.E. government’s plan once it decided that it could not rely on its large supply of oil and gas and that the long-term security of the U.A.E. required more power than renewable energies could give." "The U.A.E. is the first Arab state in the Gulf to build a nuclear power station and it is doing so with total international transparency on the supply and removal of the nuclear fuel to avoid any unnecessary suspicions." "The young engineers who are joining ENEC will be playing a vital part in the U.A.E.’s plans and their skills will be an essential part of the U.A.E.’s ability to manage its own future," the Dubai-based English-language daily concluded.