The company building the nation's first nuclear reactors wants to know how you feel about the project.
Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec) has hired an international market research firm to assess popular sentiment about the US$20 billion (Dh73.45bn) plan to bring nuclear power to the UAE in the next seven years. TNS, part of the advertising and marketing company WPP, began interviewing residents this month.
"The reason for hiring them was getting a neutral third party to verify the acceptance," said Fahad al Qahtani, the acting director for external affairs and communications at Enec. "First of all we wanted to measure the awareness of the project, how many people know about it, and then measure the understanding, and then measure the associations."
The results, due next month, will help shape Enec's communications strategy, which like the rest of the UAE nuclear industry, is in its infancy.
So far Enec has chosen to interact with the public through town-hall forums, briefings for stakeholders such as the UAE Armed Forces, and sponsoring sports events in the Western Region, the proposed site for the four planned nuclear reactors.
Enec is also answering questions about seismic history and safety measures following the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in March, which damaged the Fukushima nuclear plant.Since announcing its nuclear programme in 2008, the UAE has showcased a policy of transparency.
In turn, experienced nuclear powers including France and the US have embraced the UAE through co-operation agreements and, in September, a nod of approval in the form of a seat on the governing board of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the global nuclear watchdog.
Enec has been reluctant to discuss specifics of the programme, in part because each aspect must be approved by the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation, the UAE regulator. Releasing technical details before they are approved could jeopardise the licensing process.
Enec is working with counterparts in South Korea, where a consortium won the contract to supply and run the UAE's first reactors, on ways to integrate education about nuclear power into schools. South Korea recruited schools and science camps to boost support for its civil nuclear programme when it was starting up its first reactor in the 1970s, said Hee Young Lee, a senior vice president at Korea Electric Power Corporation.
"We explained the necessity of nuclear power development to the public," he said on the sidelines of a conference in Dubai last month. "First of all we had to make the people understand nuclear power as a semi-national resource, and then through actual performance of the nuclear power plants, we make the people assured of the safety."
ayee@thenational.ae
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BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
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Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
Summer special
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 1.4-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 180hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 250Nm at 3,00rpm
Transmission: 5-speed sequential auto
Price: From Dh139,995
On sale: now
Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
Company Profile
Company name: Fine Diner
Started: March, 2020
Co-founders: Sami Elayan, Saed Elayan and Zaid Azzouka
Based: Dubai
Industry: Technology and food delivery
Initial investment: Dh75,000
Investor: Dtec Startupbootcamp
Future plan: Looking to raise $400,000
Total sales: Over 1,000 deliveries in three months
The%20specs
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Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
Company%20Profile
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TCL INFO
Teams:
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
When December 14-17
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)
Nancy Ajram
(In2Musica)
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5