The UAE has contributed $10 million (Dh36.73m) towards a plan to ensure that countries are able to obtain supplies of nuclear fuel.
The fuel bank proposal was launched by the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) in 2006 as a way to prevent potential disruption to supplies.
The idea is to create a low-enriched uranium (LEU) stockpile that will be owned and administered by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The NTI gave the agency and its member countries the deadline of September 2008 to raise $100m for the project and said it would contribute $50m if the target was achieved. The deadline has been extended to September 2009 at the request of the IAEA.
The UAE's commitment was made in a letter to IAEA Director General Dr Mohamed El Baradei from Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The pledge follows donations of $50m from the United States and $5m from Norway. The NTI's $50m contribution is backed by its adviser, billionaire investor Warren Buffet.
The letter said: "The Government of the UAE would like to express its political and financial support for the proposed IAEA-administered international LEU fuel bank."
El Baradei said: "I welcome the UAE's contribution to the establishment of a nuclear fuel reserve under IAEA auspices. The UAE donation marks another important milestone towards supporting mechanisms for non-discriminatory, non-political assurances of supply of fuel for nuclear power plants."
The UAE launched its nuclear energy policy in April and is committed to complete operational transparency and the highest standards of safety, security and non-proliferation. The policy involves working directly with the IAEA and responsible nations in developing its nuclear energy programme. It lays out commitments and strategies that define the framework in which nuclear energy will be developed in the UAE. The country wishes to establish a model for other nations wishing to acquire nuclear energy.
Hamad Al Kaabi, the UAE's Special Representative for International Nuclear Cooperation, said the policy committed the UAE to forgo fuel enrichment in favour of establishing long-term fuel supply arrangements with reliable and responsible governments and contractors. The country's financial and political support for developing a network of assured multilateral fuel sources was consistent with this policy.
"The financial contribution to the proposed fuel bank should provide incentives for other states to follow the UAE model," he added. "The UAE encourages other states to support the IAEA's initiatives in establishing multilateral fuel assurance programmes."