UAE rail link from Fujairah to Saudi border on track for completion

The Emirates' railway network will help to reduce carbon emissions by 70% by 2050, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure says

Etihad Rail has started work on the second phase of the UAE's rail network. Photo: Etihad Rail.

The UAE's plans to complete its national railway segments from Fujairah to Al Ghuwaifat to the border of Saudi Arabia are on track as it seeks to boost its economic competitiveness and reduce carbon emissions, Suhail Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, has said.

Mr Al Mazrouei spoke to The National about the UAE completing the linkage from Fujairah to the borders with Saudi Arabia, on the sidelines of the Middle East Rail exhibition in Dubai on Tuesday.

Last month, Etihad Rail said that construction work for the 139-kilometre package A of stage two and its connection through Al Ghuwaifat with stage one, which extends 264 kilometres from Habshan to Al Ruwais, was completed two months before schedule. A spokesperson for Etihad Rail told The National: "The Etihad Rail project is on track and we continue to work at an unprecedented pace to establish a new era for transport and logistics in the country".

When complete, the railway network will link the main centres of population and industry in the UAE and will form a vital part of the railway network across the Gulf region, connecting the seven emirates of the UAE to five neighbouring GCC countries.

The UAE, already one of the world's largest logistics and transportation hubs, is working on connectivity between its ports, airports and manufacturing hubs to boost freight volumes, enhance its logistics sector and facilitate trade.

The focus on logistics comes as the UAE seeks to diversify its economy away from oil and boost alternative revenue streams. Its 1,200km national railway is part of wider plans to connect with the networks of other Gulf countries.

Asked about the time frame for linking the UAE and Saudi Arabia by rail for the transport of goods and passengers in the broader GCC rail network, Mr Al Mazrouei said that the kingdom is “working very hard” on segments of its own national railway network.

“We are looking at the engagement between the [rail] operators themselves having that discussion and we hope that together we can establish that linkage as soon as possible,” he said, without providing a timeline for the UAE-Saudi Arabia link.

Etihad Rail will help the UAE achieve its target for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 as it provides an alternative to vehicles to move goods.

Etihad Rail's inspection train travels from Saih Shuaib to Al Maha Forest in Abu Dhabi, as officials monitor progress in the second stage of the national railway project. All photos: Victor Besa / The National

The inspection train is designated for the supervision and inspection of construction works.

Railroad track workers along the Saih Shuaib line.

From Saih Shuaib, tracks are being laid north toward Dubai and south toward Abu Dhabi, creating a rail link for the first time between the two emirates.

Stage one of Etihad Rail, a 264-kilometre line, has been fully operational since January 2016.

Two trains transport up to 22,000 tonnes of granulated sulphur each day from gas fields in Shah and Habshan to an export point in Ruwais.

The second stage of the network will extend from Ghuwaifat on the border with Saudi Arabia and connect the emirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah on the east coast.

The fleet will expand from seven to 45 locomotives, transporting 60 million tonnes of cargo a year.

In March, Etihad Rail announced it had completed 34 per cent of the network.

After the completion of stage two and other future expansion works, the rail network will stretch about 1,200km across the country.

The rail service will carry both passengers and freight.

Omar Al Sebeyi, acting executive director of the commercial sector at Etihad Rail said everyone was working hard to achieve their deadlines.

Railroad cars about to be loaded with metal rails, rocks and other track-building materials for transporting down the line.

A locomotive at the railroad yard.

Omar Al Sebeyi, acting executive director of the commercial sector at Etihad Rail points out changes to the track.

“When you move goods by railway instead of cars, you're already reducing the emissions by 70 to 80 per cent,” the minister said. “Building the network further is going to help us once we connect with Saudi Arabia to further reduce CO2 emissions. It's not only a one-country initiative. Net-zero and the commitment which all of the countries will pledge in Cop26 will be part of whole region and world's commitment.”

Countries around the world are taking a pledge to reach net-zero emissions by the middle of the century to mitigate climate change. The UAE is the latest country to commit to carbon neutrality and is the first in the Middle East and North Africa and only Gulf oil exporting nation to make the pledge.

Around 30,000 delegates are expected to descend on Glasgow from October 31 for Cop26, the two-week conference where world leaders will make pledges to reduce carbon emissions.

The use of green financing instruments to steer capital towards sustainable projects will come into sharper focus in the future as more governments pledge climate goals, Mr Al Mazrouei said.

“Allowing green financing to happen to reduce emissions, I think that's something that's going to be in the future part of the different initiatives that the financiers will have to pledge to support the reduction of CO2 emissions,” he added.

During his keynote speech at the Middle East Rail event, the minister highlighted the need for “transformation to modern and sustainable mobility” where digitisation and AI will change the way the transport industry operates.

“Working on improving transportation efficiency and sustainability and reducing CO2 emissions in this important sector is critical as the world is discussing climate change mitigation and net-zero targets,” he said.

Countries in the region working on their railway networks must also be open to working with the private sector to create public-private partnerships to develop more projects and update regulations to allow such investments to take place, the minister said.

The six-month Expo 2020 Dubai, which started earlier this month with the participation of 192 countries, is an opportunity to discuss the future of mobility at a wider scale, he said.

Etihad Rail