DUBAI: The start-up of the Arab world’s first nuclear reactor — in the United Arab Emirates – has been delayed and should start operations between the end of 2019 and early 2020, the plant’s operator said on Saturday.

Nawah Energy Company, the operator of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in the Al-Dhafra Region of Abu Dhabi, said it “has completed a comprehensive ope­r­­ational readiness revi­ew” for an updated start-up schedule for the reactor.

The $24.4 billion Barakah power plant is the world’s largest nuclear project un­der construction and will be the first in the Arab world.

“The results of Nawahs review forecast that the loading of nuclear fuel assemblies required to commence nuclear operations at Barakah Unit 1 will occur between the end of 2019 and early 2020,” it said in a statement.

Reuters reported in March that the start-up had been pushed back to 2019 due to training delays.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2018