Abu Dhabi: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will review in early 2017 the UAE’s training of personnel on radiation protection as part of the country’s nuclear energy programme, said the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) on Thursday.

The final review — known as the Education and Training Appraisal in Radiation Protection and the Safety of Radiation Sources — is slated to take place in February 2017 and will assess the IAEA compliance of UAE radiation protection training programmes.

The UAE nuclear energy regulator held a three-day preparatory meeting this week at its Abu Dhabi headquarters with a wide cross section of health, security and education officials.

The preparatory work comes ahead of the Western Region’s Barakah nuclear power plant’s first of four reactor units going online next year. All four nuclear reactors are set for completion by 2020 to provide up to a quarter of the country’s electricity demands yearly.

The IAEA’s EduTA service aims to assess the national legal and regulatory infrastructure related to education and training in radiation protection and the safety of radiation sources.

Christer Viktorsson, FANR Director-General, said in a statement on Thursday that many “people conduct radiation-related activities or handle radioactive materials in the UAE, so it is critical that they are well trained to minimise the risks of radiation harming people or the environment. We are grateful for the IAEA’s support and we look forward to seeing and implementing any suggestions its review offers.”

The plans come on the heels of a three-day workshop held in August by UAE nuclear officials in conjunction with the United States.

Nuclear energy experts from the United States helped the UAE bolster existing border protection measures against illicit shipments of nuclear equipment or materials related to weapons of mass destruction, said federal officials in early August.

The United States Department of Energy’s International and Export Control programme experts met over three days with more than a dozen staff members of the UAE’s FANR.

The American programme is designed to “strengthen global efforts to prevent any unlicensed transfer of materials, equipment, and technology related to weapons of mass destruction (WMD), including nuclear weapons”, said the UAE regulator.