Emirati Women's Day: How Muna Al Naqbi is powering a nuclear-ready generation

Muna Al Naqbi, head of Systematic Approach to Training (SAT) at the Emirates Nuclear Energy Company (ENEC), joined the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program in 2011. Today, she helps shape pathways that move high-performing Emiratis from classroom to the main control room at the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant. As we mark this year’s Emirati Women’s Day under the theme “Hand in Hand, We Celebrate 50 Years,” aligning with the UAE’s 2025 “Year of Community,” we take a look at Muna’s journey as well as how UAE’s nuclear program is becoming an attractive career option for Emiratis.

The Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant has in recent years transformed the UAE’s energy mix, boosting national energy security and sustainability in parallel through the generation of clean electricity around the clock to power up to 25 percent of the nation’s needs. While the development of the plant has been a priority, the training and certification of the thousands of UAE nationals working across ENEC every day has been equally essential and has significantly boosted the national economy and advanced knowledge and expertise. 

Among a wide range of education and training programs, ENEC’s Diploma in Nuclear Technology (DNT) is a two-year entry pathway preparing UAE national high-school graduates to become local operators and maintenance technicians at the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, with learning delivered across ENEC headquarters and at the plant in Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi emirate.

Al Naqbi notes that earlier cohorts combined classroom study and practical exposure through partnerships with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) and Abu Dhabi Polytechnic — a progression that helped localise capability and keep more learning in the UAE over time. “The goal was clear: design training that meets international standards and produces competent local operators.” 

She recalls the pandemic years as a challenge for the pipeline. “We used simulator-based modules to keep cohorts on track without compromising rigour,” she says. “Continuity mattered — for the trainees and for the sector.”

A defining milestone, she adds, was April 6, 2021, when Unit 1 at Barakah entered commercial operations. “Seeing Emirati operators in the control room that day was unforgettable,” she says. “It showed the system works — from recruitment and education to licensing and shift readiness.”

Women’s participation continues to rise. ENEC report that around 20 per cent of employees are women (among the higher shares in the global nuclear sector) supported by mentorship, clear career paths and visible role models.

Those networks now extend regionally. The Barakah Chapter of Women in Nuclear (WiN) helped establish the Middle East Chapter of WiN at COP28, creating a platform for collaboration and outreach. “Support and encouragement make a difference,” Al Naqbi says. “Peer networks and youth councils help younger engineers see themselves in the industry.”

Looking ahead, Al Naqbi says consistency is key: scaling intakes while aligning content to the IAEA-recognised SAT cycle — analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation. Her advice to new entrants is direct: “Be curious, be ambitious and stay determined. Explore nuclear energy early; the work is vital to our energy security and sustainability”.