What's behind US-UAE nuclear partnership?

Nuclear energy can be a flashpoint for tension in the Middle East.

Now, though, it's taking new light.

A handful of Gulf countries, including the UAE, have signed new agreements with the US in the past few months – each nation with its own advantages and goals in the sector.

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These agreements focus heavily on civilian nuclear energy. But they are also part of a broader goal to futureproof Gulf economies.

The Emirates Nuclear Energy Company, or ENEC, is the body responsible for all things nuclear in the UAE.

In July, it expanded an agreement with US nuclear power company Westinghouse. It designs and sells the AP1000 – an advanced reactor known for its good economics.

This partnership, according to a statement from ENEC, will entail: “Efforts to accelerate the deployment of that AP1000 reactor, exploration of opportunities in US nuclear projects and quadruple nuclear capacity by 2050.”

On this episode of Business Extra, host Salim Essaid hears from Noam Raydan of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy to explore why momentum in the area of nuclear partnerships is building.