UAE Bans Scrap Metal Imports for Two Years

The United Arab Emirates has banned the import of scrap materials for two years. According to official UAE News Agency all scrap metal, iron or other materials will not be imported to the UAE by any mode of transportation. The decision was made by the UAE Cabinet June 16^th after a meeting when the cabinet viewed a memo submitted by the Ministry of Water and Electricity in its capacity as the government institution over-seeing the implementation of the Federal Law No. 1 of 2002, regulating the use of radioactive materials in the country.

As the body responsible for advising protective measures against radioactive sources, the Ministry's memo cited the concerns and warnings expressed by officials in international agencies , to the effect that hazardous nuclear and radioactive materials had been stolen from laboratories in Iraq. These concerns were also echoed by quasi-official reports that suggested that these material were being smuggled outside Iraq and might reach the UAE territories in the form of scrap materials.

Accordingly, and as a precautionary measure to protect the country from possible radioactive hazards, the Ministry of Water and Electricity requested the cabinet to ban the import of any form of scraps for two years.

Further to the ban, the cabinet agreed to allocate more than $500,000 to the ministry to purchase equipment capable of detecting radioactive and nuclear sources.

The equipment will be installed in the country's air, land and sea ports during the two-year ban.