ABU DHABI / MENA Newswire / — H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, received Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, in Abu Dhabi for talks focused on nuclear safety, regional security and cooperation between the UAE and the IAEA. The meeting followed recent attacks affecting civilian sites and critical infrastructure in the country, including the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in Al Dhafra.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the discussions covered the repercussions of missile and drone attacks carried out by Iran against civilian sites and facilities in the UAE. The ministry said the talks also addressed the risks posed by such attacks to regional security and stability, international maritime navigation, energy supplies and the global economy, placing the meeting within a broader diplomatic and nuclear safety context.
The discussions also covered drone attacks launched from Iraqi territory against the UAE, including the strike targeting the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant. The attack hit an electricity generator outside the plant’s inner perimeter. UAE authorities reported no casualties and said radiation safety levels were not affected. The plant, located in Al Dhafra, remains central to the country’s peaceful nuclear energy programme and clean electricity supply.
Nuclear safety cooperation reviewed
Sheikh Abdullah strongly condemned the attack and described it as a serious violation of international law, while stressing the need to protect civilian facilities and critical infrastructure. He also underlined the importance of adherence to the rules and principles of international law. The statement kept the focus on nuclear safety, protection of civilian infrastructure and the established legal obligations governing such facilities.
The meeting reviewed the longstanding cooperation between the UAE and the IAEA across nuclear safety, security, non proliferation and peaceful use of nuclear energy. Sheikh Abdullah affirmed the UAE’s commitment to strengthening that cooperation and supporting the IAEA’s role in advancing nuclear safety and security at regional and international levels. Grossi praised the close cooperation between the UAE and the IAEA and the country’s commitment to transparency.
Barakah visit underscores safeguards
Grossi’s official visit to the UAE included a tour of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, where he reviewed plant facilities, advanced simulator training systems and met Emirati engineers and specialists. He was accompanied by Hamad Al Kaabi, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Management of the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation, along with representatives of the authority. The visit also reviewed national work to strengthen nuclear safety culture and emergency preparedness.
The Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant is a key part of the UAE’s peaceful nuclear energy programme, which was developed under international standards for safety, security and transparency. Cooperation between the UAE and the IAEA dates back decades and was reinforced after the country launched its peaceful nuclear energy policy in 2008. The programme supports energy security, industrial development and the UAE’s wider clean energy objectives.