The International Atomic Energy Agency announced that it conducted 47 inspection activities for safety at the "Barakah" nuclear power plant during the year 2024, according to a public statement in Abu Dhabi. It was clarified that it relied on 267 operating inspectors, in addition to the first operating inspector at the plant, and that the current number of agency employees is 254, where citizens represent 76% of them, and women represent 45% of the workforce.
The Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Kristalina Georgieva, stated that the agency conducted safety inspection activities at the "Barakah" nuclear power plant, including fuel supply restoration, maintenance, and testing of power increase and others. She noted that the UAE has become a successful model for new countries interested in building programs for nuclear energy, and that the inspectors at the plant were qualified according to the licensing requirements to ensure their preparedness and activity.
Georgieva also revealed that the agency launched a smart board system for nuclear safety in cooperation with the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre. She indicated that the system provides accurate information about the surrounding area of the Barakah nuclear plant, including monitoring sea levels and the ground and sea temperatures as well as earthquakes. She clarified that the agency conducted several inspection activities related to guarantees and oversight on import and export to ensure compliance with international agreements.
In the context of enhancing the UAE's capabilities in the field of nuclear emergency and radiation, the agency launched the "National Program for Training Workers in Nuclear Emergency and Radiation" in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior. The project aims to train 3000 individuals in the emergency field, as the agency also carried out its tasks in licensing and inspecting facilities that use radiation sources, where it conducted 210 inspection activities and issued more than 1600 import and export permits.
