The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) and the Emirates Nuclear Energy Company (ENEC) have signed a partnership agreement to implement a pioneering project aimed at cultivating 500,000 coral reefs around the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in the Al Dhafra Region.
The agreement was signed during the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 in Abu Dhabi, in support of the initiative of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in the Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), to cultivate four million coral colonies by 2030.
The project aims to establish coral nurseries and cultivate coral species capable of withstanding high temperatures, in addition to implementing integrated environmental monitoring programmes and cultivating 500,000 coral colonies over the next three years. This will contribute to enhancing marine biodiversity and preserving marine ecosystems in Abu Dhabi. Under the agreement, the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi will oversee the project’s implementation phases and prepare scientific reports, while the Emirates Nuclear Energy Company will provide the necessary funding and resources.
Her Excellency Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, said: “This project represents an important step in the emirate’s efforts to protect marine ecosystems and support regional and global initiatives to conserve coral reefs, through the application of best environmental practices and the promotion of specialised scientific research. This agreement is the result of a strategic partnership between the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi and the Emirates Nuclear Energy Company, combining our scientific and technical expertise in conserving marine ecosystems with the company’s support, ensuring the project is implemented according to the highest international standards. This cooperation also represents a practical model for enhancing sustainability efforts, consolidating Abu Dhabi’s leadership in the field of environmental innovation and protecting its natural resources for future generations.”
His Excellency Mohamed Al Hammadi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Emirates Nuclear Energy Company, said: “ENEC plays a pivotal role in promoting sustainability and ensuring energy security in the UAE through the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant. Preserving the marine environment and its natural resources is a top priority for the company. This project is part of our commitment to integrating sustainability into all our operations and projects. The partnership with the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi represents an opportunity to combine the scientific and technical expertise of the agency and the company to achieve shared environmental goals. This initiative is a significant contribution to enhancing the resilience of coral reefs in the face of climate change and supporting Abu Dhabi’s position as a global capital in the field of marine environment protection.”
EAD is a leading regional agency in the field of coral reef restoration, having successfully cultured more than 1.45 million coral colonies as part of the Gulf's largest coral reef rehabilitation project, launched in 2021 by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in the Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi. The project aims to cultivate four million coral colonies by 2030 through the development of modern coral nursery technologies and the use of innovative methods to enhance corals’ ability to withstand climate change and rising temperatures. The project has achieved great success, recording a 95 per cent survival rate of cultured coral after the summer season, and a 50 per cent increase in fish biomass.
