High levels of trust for UAE nuke program: Poll

ABU DHABI / WAM

A new national poll on nuclear energy has shown that UAE residents are in favour of, and have a strong understanding of the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Programme. The poll revealed some of the highest favourability rates for nuclear energy in the world – higher than any other nuclear energy producing nations.
The poll was commissioned by the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec) and conducted in 2018 by the independent global market research company Nielsen. The purpose of the survey was to support the development of effective educational initiatives about both the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Programme and Enec, in order to provide the UAE community with accurate, meaningful, and relevant information.
The poll has shown a slight increase in favourability towards the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Programme, from 83 percent in 2017 to 85 percent in 2018. In addition, the poll revealed that 78 percent of UAE residents believe that the benefits of nuclear energy outweigh its risks.
For the Al Dhafra region, the poll revealed a significant increase in favourability of the UAE programme, from 84 percent in 2017 to 94 percent in 2018. In addition, 93 percent of Al Dhafra residents consider nuclear energy to be a safe, clean, reliable and efficient way for electricity production, up from 82 percent in 2017.
“The results of this public opinion poll demonstrate Enec’s adherence to its mission of being transparent to the UAE public, providing them with the most recent news and engaging with them in regards to the development of the peaceful nuclear energy industry,” said Mohamed Al Hammadi, CEO of Enec. “We are delighted to see the trust our communities place in ENEC, reflected in the UAE public’s responses. These results validate our efforts of raising public awareness of the UAE programme.”
Residents’ perceptions of nuclear energy have also evolved, with a positive understanding of the sustainability of nuclear energy improving significantly.