Year
2011
Abstract
Prior to give an overview on The United Arab Emirates Nuclear Power Program in general and Safeguards system in particular, it is good to know some general information about the UAE in terms of geographical location, population and political structure. United Arab Emirates occupies a total area of about 83,600 square kilometers (32,400 square miles),along the south-eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, bordering Oman and Saudi Arabia. The UAE has 734 Km of coastline, 644 Km along the Arabian Gulf and 90 Km bordering the Gulf of Oman,the population of is 8.264 million as of 2010 census. UAE is a federation and it consists of seven states, termed emirates; which are Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman,Ras Al-Khaimah, Umm Al-Quwain, and Fujairah. Each emirate has a Local government that is structured similar to the National Federal government in having three branches (Legislative, Executive and Legal). The capital is Abu Dhabi, which is also the country's center of political, industrial and cultural activities, while Dubai is the economic hub of the country. In the area of international and domestic cooperation, and as a member of IAEA, the UAE has committed itself to various IAEA strategies on operational transparency, non-proliferation and safety, the government signed number of conventions and agreements such as, convention on early notification of a nuclear accident in 1987, treaty on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons in 1995, comprehensive safeguards agreement in 2003 and convention on physical protection of nuclear material in 2003. In April 2008, UAE cabinet of ministries approved a policy document , which analyzed UAE energy needs over the next several decades,A comprehensive set of principles, commitments and strategies to address these needs in a timely efficient way were then provided.