The president of the United Arab Emirates has signed a law regulating the development of a civilian nuclear program, clearing the way for construction of a nuclear power plant with help from the United States. UAE President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahayan signed into law the regulatory framework for building “a peaceful nuclear energy sector,” the country's official news agency reported Sunday. The law complies with regulations of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency, the state-run WAM news agency said. Under those guidelines, the UAE will be prohibited from developing its own program to enrich uranium or reprocess spent nuclear fuel. Both of those technologies are potential pathways to developing nuclear weapons. In May, US President Barack Obama approved plans to help the UAE develop nuclear power to meet its growing demand for electricity in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Under the pact, the UAE must import, rather than produce, fuel for its nuclear reactors. It also has committed not to enrich uranium or reprocess spent nuclear fuel into plutonium, which is used in nuclear bombs. The US Congress has until Oct. 17 to pass legislation either amending or rejecting the deal. If no bill is passed, the agreement goes into effect. The pact would run for 30 years and allow the US to transfer nuclear equipment, reactors and materiel for civil nuclear research to the UAE.
