As global electricity demand rises, several Middle Eastern countries are evaluating or advancing nuclear power projects, weighing regional security, climatic conditions, and international cooperation, according to a press release by UN News published on 9 May 2026. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) frames nuclear power as an intersection of energy demand, technological innovation, and security. Egypt is advancing the El Dabaa plant, while the United Arab Emirates already operates the Barakah facility. Yet experts caution that geopolitical instability and climate stress raise long-term concerns. The debate centers on whether nuclear is a realistic choice or a risk for the region.
The revival of nuclear power followed a decline after the 2011 Fukushima accident. At the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference, nuclear energy was officially recognized as a low-emission technology requiring accelerated deployment. A total of 33 countries supported tripling nuclear power capacity by 2050, including the United Arab Emirates, where the Barakah plant supplies about 25 percent of domestic energy needs. Currently, 416 nuclear reactors operate in 31 countries, providing nearly 10 percent of global electricity. Another 63 reactors are under construction, and roughly 60 countries are considering nuclear power, including small modular reactors.
Egypt is integrating nuclear into a broader energy strategy that includes the Benban Solar Park and the Gulf of Suez Wind Farm. The country is close to completing the El Dabaa nuclear power plant, which will have a total installed capacity of 4,800 megawatts. Egyptian authorities believe this will help build a stable, efficient system capable of exporting clean electricity. Almuntaser Albalawi, a researcher at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), notes that energy demand in the Middle East and North Africa tripled between 2000 and 2024. He adds that desalination and cooling needs make stable energy sources especially urgent.
Security and climate concerns complicate the outlook. Professor Zia Mian, senior research scholar at Princeton University and co-director of the Science and Global Security Program, argues that a nuclear plant should be assessed over its full life cycle of about 75 years. He recalls the Arab-Israeli wars of 1967 and 1973, the Iran-Iraq war from 1980 to 1988, the US-Iraq wars, and the Syrian civil war. “Are you willing to bet on that the next 75 years will be fundamentally different from the past 75 years?” he asks. According to the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) first State of the Arab Climate Report released in 2024, the Middle East is warming twice as fast as the global average.
By the end of this century, regional temperatures could rise by five degrees Celsius, directly affecting nuclear plant operations. Professor Mian notes that nuclear plants require very large heat exchange and cooling water volumes, citing France’s summer shutdowns when outside temperatures climb. He argues that renewables remain the fastest and cheapest path, offering a decade of solar or wind power at a fraction of nuclear costs. “Every generation tries to sell the same flying carpet,” he says, dismissing technological determinism. The discussion underscores the tension between rising energy demand and the long-term uncertainties shaping the region.
