The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) has announced that Abu Dhabi will host the 24th Global Annual Conference of the Women in Nuclear (WiN) organization. The event will be held under the patronage of Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, President of the General Women's Union, Chairwoman of Motherhood and Childhood Supreme Council. It will mark the first Annual Conference of WiN in the Middle East and is scheduled to take place in November 2016. The WiN conference draws attendees from around the world, from a network of more than 25,000 members in more than 100 countries. Participants from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) include representatives from the Federal Authority of Nuclear Regulation, Khalifa University and Health Authority-Abu Dhabi, among others. "At ENEC, we are committed to encouraging the development of our female staff. I am impressed by the talented women who serve in crucial roles in the safe and quality-driven development of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant," said Mohamed Al Hammadi, ENEC CEO. "The selection of Abu Dhabi to host the WiN Global Annual Conference is testament to the hard work and commitment of the women who are working to develop the UAE's peaceful nuclear energy program." WiN is a global organization that supports and encourages women working in nuclear industries. The WiN UAE Chapter, which celebrated its first anniversary in May 2015, accomplished several major achievements in its first year. Members attended and presented at the 2014 and 2015 WiN Global Annual Conferences in Australia and Austria, respectively, and at the International Atomic Energy Agency's headquarters in Vienna, Austria. With its Energy Pioneers scholarship program, ENEC supports the future nuclear energy leaders who will oversee safe operations of the country's first nuclear energy plant. Currently, more than 27 percent of students in ENEC's educational programs are female and the percentage of female students increases to 36 percent in the Higher Diploma in Nuclear Technology program. The role of women in nuclear energy has also been recognized by the leadership of the UAE, through the Emirati Pioneers initiative. In its first edition, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai commemorated Amani Al Hosani as the first female Emirati nuclear engineer. By 2020, ENEC will need approximately 2,500 employees to operate its four nuclear reactors at Barakah in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi, with 60 percent of these roles to be filled by Emiratis. Construction of the UAE's first nuclear energy plant continues to progress safely at Barakah, with Unit 1 now more than 85 percent complete and all four units more than 62 percent complete. Once operational, the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant will provide up to a quarter of the UAE's electricity needs and save up to 12 million tons of carbon emissions annually.
