1) The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) has grown from 64 employees in 2009 to over 1,200 currently, with the goal of 2,500 employees by 2020 to power four nuclear plants and ensure their safe operation. 2) ENEC has focused on developing Emirati talent, with Emiratis making up 63.4% of employees, keeping them on track to meet their 60% Emiratization target. 3) ENEC's Energy Pioneers program works to attract and develop Emirati science and engineering students and professionals to become pioneers in the country's emerging nuclear energy sector and help operate the country's first nuclear plants.

1. 10 INSIGHT MAGAZINE NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2015
ENEC Paves The Way
For A Sustainable Future
10
I
n just six years, Emirates Nuclear
Energy Corporation (ENEC) has
grown from only 64 employees in
2009 to more than 1,200 men and
women today, all working to deliver
safe, clean and reliable nuclear energy
to the UAE by 2017.
The organisation’s burgeoning
workforce now consists of more than
35 different nationalities, including
762 of the nation’s brightest Emirati
minds who are at the heart of ENEC’s
growth strategy.
Talented Emirati nationals make up
63.4 per cent of employees, keeping
ENEC on track with its 60 per cent
Emiratisation target.
Building skilled local nuclear energy workforce,
and a safe and sustainable energy future for all
With sustainability a clear tenet
of the UAE leaders' and governments
policies, nuclear energy is set to play
an important role in the UAE’s future
energy supply, delivering 25 per cent of
the UAE’s electricity needs by 2020.
ENEC will need around 2,500
employees by that time to power
the UAE’s peaceful nuclear energy
programme and ensure the safe and
efficient operation of its proposed four
nuclear energy plants.
In delivering the UAE’s first nuclear
energy plants, the government agency
has drawn from the cumulative
experience of nuclear operators
around the world to select proven
technology, world-class partners, and
a comprehensive set of safety policies,
principles and practices.
The UAE's peaceful nuclear
development programme is held up as
an example of best practice globally,
even with a high level of scrutiny from
the international nuclear community;
fascinated to watch the UAE
programme develop, as it is the first
country in 27 years to start building
reactors.
“Developing a new nuclear energy
sector is a significant undertaking.
In order to achieve our objectives
and deliver our project on time, ENEC
requires a large and diverse group
of talented individuals to drive our
programme forward, including a mix of
experienced professionals and fresh
talent,” says Mohamed Al Hammadi,
chief executive officer of ENEC.
“ENEC is working to ensure Emiratis
play a decisive role in the UAE’s
The APR-1400 Reactor Model Is Being
Adtoped At Barakah In Abu Dhabi

2. 11INSIGHT MAGAZINE NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2015 11
nuclear energy industry, and we are
proud that our rapid growth has
been achieved while maintaining
the organisation’s commitment to
Emiratisation.”
ENERGY PIONEERS
ENEC’s Energy Pioneers programme
works to attract and develop the
country’s most talented science
students, engineering graduates and
experienced professionals, and provide
them with an opportunity to become
pioneers of the country’s emerging
nuclear energy sector. The programme
is critical in building a national skill
base to staff the UAE’s nuclear energy
industry.
The corporation's wide range of
technical and degree scholarships
offer talented students the
opportunity to develop the specialised
knowledge and practical experience
to join the industry as a qualified
technician or engineer; helping to
operate the UAE’s first nuclear energy
plants. To date, ENEC has awarded
scholarships to more than 340 Emirati
nationals in a range of programmes.
As the UAE’s peaceful nuclear
energy programme continues to gain
momentum, it is an exciting time to
choose a career in nuclear energy.
Not only do ENEC employees join
an industry that is committed to
continuous investment in its people,
providing a long-term and rewarding
career path as well as world-class
training; they also join an industry
that is playing a critical role in the
development of the UAE.
ENEC continues its search
for talented Emiratis to join its
programme, with participation at
the EmiratesSkills, Careers UAE and
Tawdheef Career Fair events, as well
as many more road shows and career
fairs planned for the year ahead.
CULTURE OF SAFETY
More than any other industry in
the world, safety is embedded in
the culture of all nuclear energy
companies. Because of this safety
culture, the international nuclear
energy industry has built a strong
safety record, so much so that other
industries are now turning to nuclear
as the benchmark for best practices.
At ENEC, safety comes first among
the company’s primary business
objectives.
“The UAE government has worked
closely with the International Atomic
Energy Agency, as well as the
governments of responsible nations
to adopt and implement best practices
and guidelines for the development
of a civil nuclear program,” said Mr
Al Hammadi. “We are committed to
continuing that work.”
“Before anything else, our priority
Mohamed Al Hammadi, CEO, ENEC

3. 12 INSIGHT MAGAZINE NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2015
is to ensure the safety of the UAE
community, our employees, the
environment and our future plants,”
said Mr Al Hammadi. “Safety always
comes first.”
PROGRESS
ENEC has so far hit all of its
milestones since construction began
on the US$20 billion programme in
2012. June 2015 saw installation of
the first plant’s second reactor vessel
at the Barakah site in Abu Dhabi’s
remote Western Region.
The first reactor is nearly 75 per
cent complete and is on time and
on budget, but the final phase in
reactor construction is the toughest.
An insider told UAE newspaper The
National that the first 80-90 percent
of construction is standard stuff; it's
that last 10-20 per cent where things
get a great deal more complex.
KEPCO was awarded the role of
prime contractor in 2009, and faces
penalties if construction is not
completed on time. But media reports
suggest the Korean nuclear giant is
facing 'difficulties' with its prototype
project for the APR-1400 (Advanced
Power Reactor 1400 MWe) in Korea,
the same model it is building at
Barakah.
Meanwhile ENEC, with its strong
commitment to safety, has been
carefully monitoring progress at
the Korean prototype site; and the
International Advisory Board (IAB),
which regularly questions ENEC on its
strategy, has commended “the UAE
on a truly successful multinational
programme. The Board also
compliments the UAE on a successful
worker safety programme as well.”
Environmental factors are important
considerations in the UAE, with a
dusty environment, and high ambient
summer air temperature, but despite
the challenges, and the delays from
the Korean contractors, the UAE's
nuclear programme has also received
praise from official inspectors at the
International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA).
In a March report, the IAEA mission
noted a number of areas of excellence
in the UAE’s system, including its
unique co-location of on-site and off-
site operation centres at Al Ruwais.
While noting some areas that need
improvement, such as ensuring
enough “qualified emergency response
personnel are available for a prolonged
response to protect the public”, the
conclusion was that the UAE’s efforts
on working towards an emergency
response system have been first class.
Most importantly, the UAE's
burgeoning nuclear infrastructure was
described in the IAEA report as state-
of-the-art.
- Will Rankin
The UAE’s Nuclear Energy Workforce
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