No mystery behind nuclear power plant

The June 2010 volume of the Middle East Review of International Affairs, an electronic journal published in Israel, carried an intriguing essay by Elie Al Hadj on ‘Abu Dhabi's Nuclear Power Plant Folly'.

An established banker, the Syrian-born author was apparently the "Chief Executive Officer of Arab National Bank in Saudi Arabia during most of the 1990s".

The web page informs the reader that "after retiring, he received his Ph.D. from London University's School of Oriental and African Studies", where he wrote a dissertation titled ‘Experiments in Achieving Water and Food Self-Sufficiency in the Middle East: The Consequences of Contrasting Endowments, Ideologies, and Investment Policies in Saudi Arabia and Syria'.

His more recent book, The Islamic Shield: Arab Resistance to Democratic and Religious Reforms, elucidates why "thoughts of a democratic Arab-Muslim nation are nothing but fantasy". Allegedly, this is the case because Arabs "are characterised by obedience to a hierarchical authority", and that "western-style democracy can never fill this cultural mandate".

This background is essential if one is to understand Al Hadj's baffling essay, which posits that Abu Dhabi's December 2009 decision to embark on harvesting nuclear energy is a huge mistake. He identifies major contradictions in the emirate's quest for energy with plans to build Masdar City, a zero-carbon, zero-waste and 100-per-cent renewable energy powered town, along with hosting the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena).

Grudging praise

To buttress his assertions, the author first tackles the Masdar project, which is slated to cost about $22 billion (Dh80.9 billion) to house an estimated 50,000 residents. The avant-gardiste city will rely on renewable energy sources, especially solar power, to produce electricity. Likewise, drinking water will be provided through a solar-powered desalination plant, whereas landscaping and agriculture will be irrigated with treated wastewater.

Thus, Masdar City will shine, something that the author applauds, even if he believes that the decision to build it was tied to Abu Dhabi's "eagerness to become the first city in the Middle East to host the headquarters of an international organisation", Irena.

Still, Al Hadj criticises Abu Dhabi's plans for a four-reactor nuclear power plant, ostensibly because such a decision betrayed one of Irena's principles, namely that member-states must promote renewable energy sources, which excludes nuclear since it is "costly and unsafe".

Clearly, Al Hadj prefers that the world develop safe and environmentally friendly renewable resources of energy to generate electricity from the sun and wind, and is seriously concerned that potential accidents would cost lives.

If a major nuclear accident were to ever occur in the UAE, he asks, what will happen to the country and its neighbours?

Al Hadj is adamant that GCC states do not possess "enough hospitals, surgeons, or scientists to cope with a sudden and unexpected flood of tens of thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands, of casualties", and is also worried that radioactivity would contaminate sea water and disable desalination plants that provide millions of people with clean drinking and household water.

For Al Hadj, therefore, "Abu Dhabi's decision to purchase a huge nuclear power plant at a time when safe alternatives are readily available is inexplicable". One wonders whether he believes that Arabs in general, and Emiratis in particular, can be trusted with nuclear power.

Sadly, the author is persuaded that no "sound balancing economic or environmental perspective" was introduced in the decision-making process. Beyond its derogatory insinuations, Al Hadj sees contradictions between the environmentally friendly Masdar project and the emirate's nuclear power project, and attributes two sinister motives for the lack of serious vetting: to enrich wealthy merchants, and an alleged desire to underscore its importance, which he summarises as egoism.

Logical choice

Although a variety of motives are attributed to this quest, including flaunting wealth, strategic value within the GCC, and the desire to restore lost national pride vis-à-vis Iran, Al Hadj misses the most elementary rationale: need.

With a growing population that exceeded the eight million mark in early 2010 according to recently published reports, the UAE must invest heavily in a variety of energy-generating sources, including solar, wind and nuclear power.

There are no reasons why the country should not vigorously pursue nuclear energy. In fact, several Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Iraq and especially Egypt must catch up if they are to ensure basic services to their growing populations — legally and safely.

Dr Joseph A. Kechichian is a commentator and author of several books on Gulf affairs.