Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Egypt calls for Middle East WMD-free zone
Egypt called on Tuesday for the creation of a zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, saying it was the key way to address regional risks and security threats without “discrimination” or “double standards”.
Speaking at the second Global Nuclear Energy Summit in Paris, Electricity and Renewable Energy Minister Mahmoud Esmat said peaceful uses of nuclear energy are an “inalienable right” for all states under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), according to a statement from Egypt’s electricity ministry.
Esmat said Egypt was working to leverage its expertise, qualified personnel and research facilities to support peaceful applications of atomic energy in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), including through its membership in the Arab Atomic Energy Agency and the African Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research, Development and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology (AFRA).
He said Egypt had hosted thousands of trainees from African countries through training and research programmes, describing the country as a regional hub for supporting nuclear security and capacity-building across the Middle East and Africa.
Esmat praised what he called constructive cooperation with the IAEA and referred to a visit by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi to Cairo last year, during which Grossi met President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and other officials, the statement said.
Egypt also participates in IAEA initiatives in health, food, water, energy and the environment, Esmat said, including programmes aimed at providing precision radiotherapy for cancer patients and developing crop varieties more resilient to climate change.
Esmat updated delegates on Egypt’s Dabaa nuclear power plant on the Mediterranean coast, which the government says is central to its plans for sustainable development and technology localisation.
Among recent milestones, Esmat said the reactor pressure vessel for the first unit had been installed, describing it as a key step in construction. He also said core catcher components — part of modern nuclear safety systems designed to contain molten reactor material in severe accidents — had been installed for units three and four.
Egypt has also received authorisation to build a spent nuclear fuel storage facility for Dabaa, a move Esmat said reflected the country’s commitment to nuclear safety standards across the full nuclear fuel cycle.
Construction and installation work is continuing across all four units, including completion of the third level of the internal containment vessel for the second unit’s reactor building, while manufacturing is under way for major equipment such as steam generators, pressurisers, main circuit components, generators and steam turbines, the statement said.
Esmat said Egypt was committed to applying the highest nuclear safety and security standards and was implementing an “integrated and ambitious” nuclear security plan with the IAEA.
He reiterated Egypt’s commitment to transparency in peaceful nuclear activities under its legal obligations in the NPT and a comprehensive safeguards agreement, while emphasising the IAEA’s central role as the only body responsible for nuclear verification, according to the statement.
Esmat also said Egypt condemns and prohibits any attack on nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards and used for peaceful purposes, calling such attacks a serious violation of international law, the United Nations Charter and the IAEA’s statute, and a threat to the credibility of the global non-proliferation regime.
He reiterated Egypt’s position in favour of universal adherence to the NPT and the establishment of a Middle East WMD-free zone.
Esmat said Egypt supports technological advances in nuclear energy and is following international efforts coordinated by the IAEA on small modular reactors (SMRs). He stressed the need to align the development and deployment of emerging nuclear technologies with differing legal obligations of IAEA member states so that they expand — rather than restrict — access to nuclear power for electricity generation and desalination.
He pointed to Egypt’s experience in large renewable projects, such as the Benban solar park and Gulf of Suez wind farms, arguing that successful international partnerships are essential to energy transition.
Esmat said Egypt was open to investment in the energy sector and highlighted ongoing legislative reforms, including a new electricity law aimed at market liberalisation and incentives for green hydrogen projects. He said more than 42,000 square kilometres had been allocated for energy projects, with long-term power purchase agreements of up to 25 years and customs exemptions for renewable and nuclear energy components.
Esmat said the world had a “historic opportunity” to triple nuclear capacity, echoing ambitions set out at the COP28 climate summit, but added that achieving that goal would require financing, political will and genuine international coordination.
He said Egypt aims to become a regional energy hub linking Africa, Europe and Asia, citing an electricity interconnection project with Saudi Arabia and a feasibility assessment for a link to Europe via Greece with capacity of up to 3,000 megawatts. Nuclear power in Egypt’s energy mix would make such links more stable and efficient, he said, enabling the export of round-the-clock low-carbon electricity.
Esmat concluded by reaffirming Egypt’s commitment to cooperation with the IAEA and international partners on research and development, technology transfer and capacity building, according to the ministry statement.