ABU DHABI — The United Arab Emirates on Saturday announced the successful operation of the first peaceful nuclear energy reactor in the Arab world at Barakah Nuclear Energy Stations in Abu Dhabi.

With the Unit 1 of the Power Plant operational, UAE will be the first Arab country to use nuclear energy to meet its sustainable energy needs.

This step is the most historic milestone to date in the delivery of the UAE peaceful nuclear energy program, as part of the process of generating clean electricity for the country for at least the next 60 years.

The milestone achievement was announced in a tweet by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE’s vice president, and Prime Minister and the ruler of Dubai.

"We announce the UAE's success in operating the first peaceful nuclear energy reactor in the Arab world, at Barakah Nuclear Energy Stations in Abu Dhabi. The work teams succeeded in loading nuclear fuel packages, carrying out comprehensive tests and successfully completing the operation," Sheikh Mohammed tweeted.

"I bless my brother Mohamed Bin Zayed for this achievement," he added.

"UAE first nuclear reactor at the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant has achieved the first criticality and successfully started up," tweeted Hamad Alkaabi, the country’s representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

"This is a historic milestone for the nation with a vision set to deliver a new form of clean energy for the nation," he tweeted.

Mohamed Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, said: "Today is a truly historic moment for the UAE. It is the culmination of more than a decade of vision, strategic planning and robust program management. Despite the recent global challenges, our team has demonstrated outstanding resilience and commitment to the safe delivery of Unit 1. We are now another step closer to achieving our goal of supplying up to a quarter of our Nation’s electricity needs and powering its future growth with safe, reliable, and emissions-free electricity.

"Through the realization of the vision of our Leadership, the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant has become an engine of growth for the Nation. It will deliver 25 percent of the UAE’s electricity with zero carbon emissions while also supporting economic diversification by creating thousands of high-value jobs through the establishment of a sustainable local nuclear energy industry and supply chain.

We are grateful to the Leadership for their continuous support in making this remarkable achievement happen, along with the support of our UAE stakeholders and Korean partners, and congratulate everyone involved in the Programme on this landmark occasion."