Interest in nuclear energy across the Middle East is gaining renewed momentum amid a global push for energy security and economic growth. However, if the expansion of nuclear activities – particularly uranium enrichment – is not reasonably justified, it could heighten risks and tensions.
This publication examines the current drivers for pursuing nuclear energy in the Middle East and how they may evolve in the near and medium term. In particular, it examines how regional policy discourses and assumptions about security, climate change, energy, nuclear and AI technologies shape interest in nuclear energy and influence decision-making.
Understanding these drivers, together with the political and technical frameworks governing nuclear energy cooperation, is crucial for assessing risks and informing effective risk mitigation and regional cooperation.
The publication closes by examining the potential implications for the Middle East Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone initiative and identifying effective risk-mitigation models and partnership strategies to address proliferation threats and strengthen peaceful cooperation in the Middle East.
Citation: Almuntaser Albalawi, Navigating A New Era for Nuclear Energy in the Middle East (Geneva: UNIDIR, 2026), https://doi.org/10.37559/MEWMDFZ/2026/ME-nuc-energy.