UAE Ranks Fourth Globally for Nuclear Facility Security

The UAE ranked fourth among 48 countries for protecting nuclear facilities against sabotage in the 2026 Nuclear Threat Initiative Nuclear Security Index.

Its security and control score rose from 66 in 2023 to 86 in 2026. The assessment covers physical protection of nuclear facilities, insider-threat prevention, cybersecurity, emergency response and security culture.

The UAE also ranked joint 15th among 154 countries and areas for its contribution to global efforts against the theft of nuclear materials, scoring 85 out of 100.

The Nuclear Threat Initiative cited stronger facility protection requirements, updated cybersecurity provisions, enhanced personnel vetting and improved preparedness and resilience among the factors behind the higher score.

The country was also identified among 12 states described by the index as emerging drivers of progress in global nuclear security.

The index is developed by the Nuclear Threat Initiative in partnership with Economist Enterprise and assesses national security measures, international commitments, regulatory capacity and broader risk conditions.