UAE-Oman Travel Time To Reduce To 47 Minutes In New Railway Agreement

In order to facilitate the growth of the 303km railway network connecting Oman and the UAE, Oman and the Etihad Rail Company recently signed a collaboration agreement with Mubadala Investment Corporation, a sovereign investor in Abu Dhabi. The passenger trains are anticipated to operate up to 200 km/h, cutting the trip time from Sohar to Abu Dhabi and from Sohar to Al Ain to just one hour and forty minutes each, for an overall investment value of USD 3 billion. In the meanwhile, 120kph freight train speeds are anticipated.

In order to support the Oman and Etihad Rail Company in speeding the design and execution phase of the UAE-Oman Rail Network, the partnership with Mubadala Investment Company will allow both parties explore investment prospects in the railway sector and increase cooperation. The formation of working groups and joint committees to take advantage of shared expertise and knowledge, joint efforts to develop economic and financial feasibility studies, joint investments to develop the UAE-Oman railway network, and collaboration to increase the project’s added value are all included in the cooperation agreement.

The development of the Oman-Etihad Rail network builds on the strategic linkages and deep historical connections that exist between the United Arab Emirates and the Sultanate of Oman. It also lays the groundwork for a solid cooperation between Etihad Rail and Oman Rail. By connecting economic, industrial, commercial, and residential centres with the railway network, the joint venture will alter the infrastructure, transport, and logistics sectors and improve business movement and social cohesion.

The signing of the agreement follows the establishment of the Oman and Etihad Rail Company, a joint venture established by Oman Rail, the Sultanate’s national developer and operator of railway networks, and Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the UAE’s National Rail Network, under the agreement signed last September between the two companies on the sidelines of the visit of the UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Oman.

The UAE-Oman Rail Network will increase market competitiveness and reduce the overall cost of supply chains due to its increased efficiency compared to other modes of transport. The network will also provide trade and investment opportunities for the private sector, new and diverse job opportunities, training national human resources, enriching tourism activities, improving the competitiveness of the two countries in global trade, and establishing their position as logistics hubs that serve as gateways to regional markets.