UAE Armed Forces train to deal with nuclear accidents

Monitoring radiation and how to reduce response times to any incidents will also be discussed at workshop

A handout photo released by the ENEC on June 1, 2017 shows part of the Barakah Nuclear power plant under construction near al-Hamra west of Abu Dhabi in May 2017. RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATOShow more

The UAE's Armed Forces is training on how to respond to nuclear accidents.

A five-day workshop that began on Sunday will also review safety procedures, examine radiation monitoring and how to cut response times to any incidents.

Top Emirati officers, Government officals and representatives from other GCC countries are attending the event at the Armed Forces Officers Club in Abu Dhabi which is being held in cooperation with the US.

Tthe UAE’s first nuclear power plant is set to begin generating electricity late this year or early next year.

Construction of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in Al Dhafra has reached an advanced stage, with the first reactor already built.

When all four reactors are working, Barakah is predicted to generate about a quarter of the UAE’s electricity needs. It will bring down its dependence on gas power plants, which currently generate about 98 per cent of the country's energy.