The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) has announced the launch of its new transformational project, the National Programme for Qualifying Nuclear and Radiological Emergency Workers (TAHYAA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior.

The project aims to develop the Emirati capacity in the field of nuclear or radiological emergencies across all relevant sectors in the UAE. TAHYAA seeks to train almost 3,000 emergency workers from first responders such as the Civil Defence, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Defence and others from the period of July 2024 until June 2025.

TAHYAA is based on the UAE National Qualification for Nuclear and Radiological Emergency Workers, which was developed by FANR in collaboration with the National Qualification Centre (NQC) of the Ministry of Education. The qualification framework covers various topics such as radiation physics, radiation detection and radioactive decontamination among a host of technical topics. The programme provides the official qualification and certification to all workers involved in different areas of nuclear and radiological emergency response and management in the UAE.

TAHYAA is a transformational project that is part of the performance agreements for 2023-2024, aiming to implement national priorities and achieve the requirements of the next phase of development in the UAE. It is aligned with the vision “We the UAE 2031” that aims to make the UAE ‘the most secure and safe country in the world’.

“Building and strengthening the capacity of the emergency workers is a key element to ensure the timely response to any emergency to ensure the protection of the people and the environment. The National Programme for Qualifying Nuclear and Radiological Emergency Workers (TAHYAA) will play a key role in building such capacity in collaboration with our partners and harnessing their relevant hands-on experience to equip them with the necessary tools to address any nuclear or radiological emergency,” said Christer Viktorsson, Director-General of FANR.

The UAE has a robust emergency preparedness and response system that was lauded by international missions such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). THAYAA is expected to contribute to building and strengthening national capacity to address any potential nuclear or radiological emergency.