United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates does not possess nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons programs, but does maintain a substantial missile program. The UAE operates advanced biotechnology and chemical industrial sectors and a nuclear power plant. The UAE set a “Gold Standard” nonproliferation precedent by renouncing any future capability of uranium enrichment or plutonium reprocessing.

Region Middle East and North Africa

4 Reactor units operated at Barakah nuclear power plant (2 operational)

$10 million Donated to the IAEA Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) Bank in Kazakhstan

144 THAAD missiles purchased from the U.S.

Nuclear

Signed $20 billion deal with South Korea for procurement of 4 nuclear reactors, the first of which began commercial operation in April 2021
Signed “Gold Standard” 123 agreement with U.S. in 2009, permanently relinquishing pursuit of enrichment and reprocessing capabilities
Strong supporter of peaceful nuclear energy

U.S. – UAE Nuclear Cooperation

Report

U.S. – UAE Nuclear Cooperation

Overview of the Nuclear Disarmament Resource Collection

Database

Overview of the Nuclear Disarmament Resource Collection

Biological

Prime Minister announced in 2005 that UAE hoped to become the Middle East’s biotech hub
Built a Biotechnology & Research Park in Dubai in 2010 that houses companies like Pfizer and Amgen
Ratified the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention in 2008

Tutorial on Biological Weapons Nonproliferation

Teaching Tool

Tutorial on Biological Weapons Nonproliferation

United Arab Emirates Overview

Fact Sheet

United Arab Emirates Overview

Missile

Purchased Scud-B ballistic missiles from North Korea in the late 1980s
Purchased Black Shaheen cruise missiles from France and the UK in 1998
Purchased THAAD missile systems from the U.S. in $3.5 billion deal; deployed U.S. Patriot missiles to Yemen to support Saudi Arabia

Overview: Applying New Tools to Nonproliferation: A Nuclear Detective Story

Report

Overview: Applying New Tools to Nonproliferation: A Nuclear Detective Story

Overview of The CNS Missile and SLV Launch Databases

Database

Overview of The CNS Missile and SLV Launch Databases

Chemical

Operates large chemical industrial sector in Chemicals Industry City in Abu Dhabi
Ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention in 2000
Does not possess a chemical weapons program

Tutorial on Chemical Weapons Nonproliferation

Teaching Tool

Tutorial on Chemical Weapons Nonproliferation

NTI Tutorials

Interactive & Visualization

NTI Tutorials

Treaties and Regimes Memberships

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NPT

The NPT is a treaty aimed at limiting the spread of nuclear weapons through the three pillars of non-proliferation, disarmament, and peaceful use of nuclear energy.

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Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)

The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) requires countries to destroy all chemical weapons and prohibits developing, stockpiling, or using chemical weapons.

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Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM)

The Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) focuses on the physical protection of peaceful use of nuclear materials

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Biological Weapons Convention (BTWC)

The BTWC mandates the elimination of existing biological weapons and prohibits developing, stockpiling, or using biological and toxin weapons.

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