H.H. Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan: The UAE NationalRailway is one of the most important economic development projects in the UAE”

Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the UAE national railway, has approved the award agreement for civil and track works of Packages B and C for Stage Two of the UAE national railway network connecting Abu Dhabi and Dubai, during a board meeting, chaired by His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of Etihad Rail. Package B runs for 216km, and Package C runs for 94km, and the two packages are part of the 605km line from Ghuweifat to the Port of Fujairah on the eastern coast.H.H.Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan attended the contract signing ceremony to award the civil and track works on the two packages to China Railway Construction Corporation Ltd and Ghantoot Transport & General Contracting Company. The contract was signed by Mr. Shadi Malak, Etihad Rail Chief Executive Officer, and Mr. Wang Jinsong, Authorized Representative of China Railway Construction Corporation Ltd and Ali Mohamed Sadiq Albloushi, Chairman of Ghantoot Transport & General Contracting.H.H.Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed stressed the importance of the UAE national railway network, which is recognised as one of the most important economic and development projects in the UAE, saying, “Etihad Rail will sustain the growth of our transport industry and freight carriage sector throughout the UAE, as railway systems are one of the most important means of transport on which countries depend to achieve their economic and social objectives.”His Highness added that Etihad Rail's strategy is to build a railway network consistent with its clients’ needs, and has signed a number of Memoranda of Understanding (MoU's) with national companies who are looking to use the railway network as a business solution, especially since goods of all kinds can be transported on railways at lower cost and more efficiently compared with traditional transport means.Etihad Rail is pioneering new horizons for development and transport, and is moving forward to sustain the UAE transport sector through the tremendous progress achieved in building the UAE national railway network as a safe, modern, and cost effective means of transport.His Highness said that the launch of Packages B and C as part of the second stage of this project to connect all of the emirates is a milestone in the future prospects of the United Arab Emirates. The importance of the two packages lays in the fact that they link Khalifa Port, Khalifa Industrial City (Kizad), and Jebel Ali Port. The project includes links to strategic ports and industrial areas nationwide, along a distance of 310 km. It is the backbone of the UAE national railway network, upgrading the transport and shipping industry by connecting ports, manufacturing and production points, as well as urban locations.H.H.Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan praised the efforts of the board members in following the strategy of Etihad Rail and its future aspirations, thanking them for their hard work.The works on this part of Stage Two focus on the design and construction of rail infrastructure, including earth works, bridges, tunnels, animal-crossings and track-laying, connecting Package B with Package A, and Package C with Package B. The total value of the works is AED4.4 billion.Etihad Rail has previously awarded Package A to a consortium of the China State Construction Engineering Corporation and South Korea’s SK Engineering and Construction. When complete, the 1,200Km Etihad Rail project will link the UAE’s principal centers of industry, manufacturing, production, population, and import/export points, forming an integral part of the GCC-wide railway network.