The first Egyptian nuclear plant for peaceful purposes is the long awaited dream  for more than half a century.

President Gamal Abdel Nasser was the first to knock the door of nuclear future, and enthusiastically sought to let Egypt join the nuclear club. In 1955 was the formation of “The Atomic Energy Commission chaired by President Nasser, and in July 1956 Egypt and the former Soviet Union signed a bilateral agreement on cooperation in the atomic energy affairs and its applications.

In September 1956, Egypt and former Soviet Union signed a contract for establishing the first nuclear research reactor in Anshas City with a capacity of 2 megawatts. The following year "The Atomic Energy Commission" became "the Atomic Energy Corporation". Anshas reactor started work in 1961.

However, soon enthusiasm to achieve the nuclear dream diminished after the tension in relations between Egypt and the former Soviet Union in the era of the late President Anwar Sadat, when President Sadat drew his attention towards the United States after the signing of the Camp David treaty on the construction of ten Egyptian nuclear plants by “Westinghouse Corporation”. A nuclear agreement was signed between the Egyptian and American sides, but the United States did not take any step towards the implementation of that project, which led President Sadat to replace the US partner with Europe, specifically France.

In the 1980s after the assassination of Sadat, former President Mubarak came to power, he was determinate to go ahead with the nuclear project, where "Daba" area was selected to be the location of the first nuclear power plants, but winds blow against direction, where, "Chernobyl" reactor accident led to the delay the project indefinitely.

In 2007, former President Hosni Mubarak announced the resumption of Egypt's nuclear program in the area of Daba .. but at that time there was a extensive argument about the suitability of the area for such project, and whether it is better to move it to another site and utilize Daba for tourism projects, as well as the environmental effects that may be harmful to the inhabitants of the area.

The government signed a contract with an Australian company in 2009 to review the project studies and the appropriateness of Dabaa area of the nuclear reactor. The results of the studies which were prepared by the Australian company, in cooperation with the nuclear plants body, and the International Atomic Energy Agency accredited Daba as a suitable area to establish a nuclear plant.