9 May 2026 – Peace and Security
As global electricity demand continues its upward trajectory, so too does the appeal of nuclear energy. Across the Middle East, a number of nations are actively evaluating or advancing nuclear power projects, carefully balancing critical considerations such as regional security, climatic conditions, and the imperative for international cooperation.
“Nuclear energy stands at the intersection of escalating energy demands, rapid technological innovation, and an evolving security landscape. This confluence presents a monumental opportunity,” states Shota Kamishima, Senior Coordination Officer at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Sustainable Supply for a Growing Region
“When developed with due diligence and proper oversight, nuclear energy possesses the capacity to underpin sustainable development, significantly enhance energy resilience, and even serve as a robust platform for fostering regional cooperation.”
The resurgence of this vital power source, which experienced a setback following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident, was prominently highlighted at the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference. There, nuclear energy received official recognition as a low-emission technology whose accelerated promotion is essential for global climate goals.
A significant 33 countries endorsed the ambitious objective of tripling their nuclear power capacity by 2050. Among these nations is the United Arab Emirates, where the Barakah nuclear power plant already contributes approximately 25 percent of the nation’s domestic energy requirements.
Currently, 416 operational nuclear reactors across 31 countries supply nearly 10 percent of the world’s electricity. An additional 63 reactors are presently under construction, and a remarkable 60 countries are either considering or actively planning the introduction of nuclear power, including the adoption of advanced small modular reactors (SMRs).
Egypt, for its part, is demonstrating a strong commitment to nuclear power as an integral component of its comprehensive national energy strategy.
Alongside extensive renewable energy initiatives, including the massive Benban Solar Park and the Gulf of Suez Wind Farm, the nation is nearing completion of the El Dabaa nuclear power plant. This facility is projected to boast a total installed capacity of 4,800 megawatts.
Egyptian authorities are confident that this strategic investment will enable them to construct a stable and highly efficient energy system, simultaneously creating opportunities to export clean electricity abroad.
“Energy demand in the Middle East and North Africa region has surged threefold between 2000 and 2024, and this upward trend is set to continue, largely driven by advancements in AI and profound economic transformation,” explains Almuntaser Albalawi, a researcher at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR). “The region faces a unique and pressing need for desalination and cooling, which makes reliance on stable and consistent energy sources even more critical.”
Security, Climate, and Long-Term Uncertainties
Despite these compelling demands, the complex geopolitical environment prevalent in the Middle East inevitably raises serious questions regarding the safety and viability of developing and operating nuclear energy facilities within the region.
“When we discuss a nuclear power plant, a reasonable unit of time for consideration should encompass its entire life cycle – approximately 75 years from initial construction through to eventual decommissioning,” argues Professor Zia Mian, a senior research scholar at Princeton University and co-director of the Science and Global Security Program.
“All of these crucial discussions must fundamentally revolve around a central question: What has the Middle East experienced over the past 75 years?”
“How do we realistically expect it to evolve in the future?” he probes, citing historical conflicts such as the Arab-Israeli wars of 1967 and 1973, the devastating Iran-Iraq war from 1980 to 1988, followed by the US-Iraq wars, and more recently, the protracted Syrian civil war.
“Are you genuinely willing to stake a bet that the next 75 years will be fundamentally and dramatically different from the tumultuous past 75 years?”
In addition to profound safety and intricate political considerations, there are also significant concerns that the prevailing climate and environmental conditions in the Middle East may be inherently unsuitable for the widespread development of nuclear energy.
According to the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) inaugural State of the Arab Climate Report, released in 2024, the Middle East is experiencing warming at a rate twice the global average.
By the close of this century, regional temperatures could potentially soar by five degrees Celsius, a rise that would directly and severely impact the operational efficiency and safety of nuclear power plants.
“In practical terms,” Professor Mian elaborates, “the Middle East could become virtually uninhabitable for people to live outdoors for extended periods.”
“Furthermore, nuclear power plants have extraordinarily large heat exchange requirements, and their demand for cooling water is equally immense. Every summer, for instance, precisely when people require electricity most urgently for cooling, France is often compelled to shut down some of its nuclear power plants because ambient temperatures become excessively high.”
A Flying Carpet of Promises?
According to Professor Mian, the most expeditious and cost-effective method for generating electricity remains renewable energy. “Instead of enduring a decade-long wait for nuclear power, you can deploy a decade’s worth of solar or wind power at a mere fraction of the cost. Therefore, in terms of tangible climate benefits for every dollar invested, the two options are simply not comparable.”
“I have observed numerous narratives promoting the so-called ‘nuclear revival’,” he states. “This is, in essence, an old idea repackaged. Every successive generation attempts to sell the same ‘flying carpet’ of technological salvation. That particular brand of technological determinism – the notion of ‘buy my reactor, and tomorrow will usher in a golden age’ – is profoundly flawed. The world simply does not operate in such a simplistic manner. Politics, human agency, established systems, and historical context are the truly decisive factors.”
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