The Board of Management of the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation, FANR, has convened at its premises to review the current progress of the country’s nuclear regulator in terms of nuclear safety, security and safeguards.

The meeting, presided over by Abdulla Nasser Al Suwaidi, Chairman of FANR, approved the Research and Development Policy, which is a cornerstone of the authority’s corporate strategy in line with the UAE's Nuclear Law.

The law provisions stipulate that FANR will carry out and support research and development studies relevant to the scope of work so that FANR can perform its mandate to regulate the nuclear sector in the UAE towards peaceful purposes. The policy aims to develop and attract Emiratis by providing postgraduate education and research in the nuclear field.

In addition, it will foster scientific activities such as publishing research papers and joining scientific and technical conferences. It also provides a technical basis for all FANR’s regulatory activities which will eventually contribute to the sustainability of nuclear applications in the UAE.

The board was also briefed on the latest updates of status in relation to operating license applications for Units 1 and 2 at the Nuclear Power Plant in Barakah, Al Dhafra as well as inspection activities to ensure implementation of FANR’s safety, security and safeguards requirements.

The board reviewed a thorough report pertaining to International Reviews on Nuclear Power, where it detailed the international expert missions who visited the UAE during 2017 to review FANR procedures. It included an IAEA Expert Mission earlier this year to review FANR’s Decision Making Framework Operating License where the mission endorsed FANR for adopting and complying with the applicable standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA.

In addition, another IAEA Expert Mission visited FANR earlier this year when it endorsed the authority’s in-place comprehensive plan for the preparation of the operating phase.