The United Arab Emirates' only nuclear power plant is "well protected" against security threats, the regulator said Wednesday, following a series of drone and missile attacks by Iran-backed Houthis.

Yemen'sHouthis said in 2017 they fired a cruise missile towards the Barakah plant, a report which the UAE denied. The group has repeatedly threatened to target critical infrastructure in the UAE.

The Houthis have claimed three drone and missile assaults on the UAE this year. A January 17 strike killed three people in Abu Dhabi and wounded more.

The United States and United Nationas experts have said Iran is supplying the sophisticated drone and missile technology to Houthis.

"The nuclear power plant is designed according to high security principles and we have issued regulations for physical and cyber security," Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) Director General Christer Viktorsson said.

"The sensitive parts of the power plant are well protected for any event," he told reporters. The UAE overall has "robust security", he added.

The plant in Abu Dhabi, one of the UAE's seven emirates and the nation's capital, is the Arab world's first nuclear power station and part of the oil producer's aim to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

Barakah will have four reactors with 5,600 megawatts (MW) of total capacity - equivalent to 25% of the UAE's needs. The first unit began delivering 1400 MW to the national grid in April 2021.

Reporting by Reuters