• Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, attends the opening day of the Middle East Rail conference at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. All photos: Wam
    Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, attends the opening day of the Middle East Rail conference at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. All photos: Wam
  • Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, underlined the UAE's ambitions for its transport sector at the event
    Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, underlined the UAE's ambitions for its transport sector at the event
  • The regional rail event is expected to draw up to 10,000 visitors during its two-day run
    The regional rail event is expected to draw up to 10,000 visitors during its two-day run
  • Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, highlighted the importance of the Etihad Rail project to the UAE's future development
    Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, highlighted the importance of the Etihad Rail project to the UAE's future development
  • Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, received Iran's Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mehrdad Bazrpash on the sidelines of the event
    Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, received Iran's Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mehrdad Bazrpash on the sidelines of the event
  • The 17th Middle East Rail conference will conclude on Tuesday
    The 17th Middle East Rail conference will conclude on Tuesday

Middle East Rail 2023: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed outlines UAE's transport vision


  • English
  • Arabic

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, set out the UAE's ambition to be a global leader in the transport sector after attending the opening day of a major rail conference in Abu Dhabi.

Sheikh Mansour on Monday joined hundreds of industry leaders at Middle East Rail 2023, which is being staged at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

He hailed the Etihad Rail mega project — which will stretch about 1,200km across the country and eventually offer both freight and passenger services — as central to the UAE's transport goals.

Sheikh Mansour underlined the importance of railway networks in supporting the economy, promoting investment opportunities and strengthening commercial ties, state news agency Wam reported.

The Vice President was joined at the opening ceremony of the event by Jasem Al Budaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Co-operation Council, Suhail Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, and a number of senior officials, transport ministers and leading figures from some of the world's biggest rail companies.

He watched a documentary charting the achievements of Etihad Rail.

Middle East Rail, which concludes on Tuesday, is expected to attract 10,000 visitors.

It will feature 400 speakers from across the region and beyond and host more than 100 presentations, panels and interviews, covering key topics such as sustainability, safety and data analysis.

This year's conference is being hosted by Etihad Rail and aims to showcase innovation and excellence delivered throughout the Middle East.

Etihad Rail announced in April that its vast freight train network was fully operational.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, officially opened the freight line in February.

It consists of a fleet of 38 locomotives and more than 1,000 wagons.

It is a central part of the UAE's national rail project, which will eventually connect the Emirates to the rest of the Gulf.

A look at the UAE's first marine rail bridge — in pictures

  • The UAE's first marine rail bridge at Khalifa Port, Abu Dhabi. Photo: Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    The UAE's first marine rail bridge at Khalifa Port, Abu Dhabi. Photo: Khushnum Bhandari / The National
  • The bridge stretches a kilometre across the Arabian Gulf and connects Abu Dhabi’s sprawling Khalifa Port to the emirate's mainland. Photo: Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    The bridge stretches a kilometre across the Arabian Gulf and connects Abu Dhabi’s sprawling Khalifa Port to the emirate's mainland. Photo: Khushnum Bhandari / The National
  • Adriaan Wolhuter, director of engineering at Etihad Rail, says it took a lot of planning and detailed design. Photo: Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    Adriaan Wolhuter, director of engineering at Etihad Rail, says it took a lot of planning and detailed design. Photo: Khushnum Bhandari / The National
  • An Etihad Rail engine. Photo: Etihad Rail
    An Etihad Rail engine. Photo: Etihad Rail
  • Etihad Rail's freight service aims to cut congestion on the UAE's roads. Photo: Etihad Rail
    Etihad Rail's freight service aims to cut congestion on the UAE's roads. Photo: Etihad Rail
  • Every fully loaded freight train that passes over the bridge could take up to 300 lorries off the roads. Photo: Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    Every fully loaded freight train that passes over the bridge could take up to 300 lorries off the roads. Photo: Khushnum Bhandari / The National
  • The bridge passes over the Arabian Gulf. Photo: Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    The bridge passes over the Arabian Gulf. Photo: Khushnum Bhandari / The National
  • A rendering of some of Etihad Rail's freight services. Trains from Khalifa Port will chiefly carry shipping containers. Photo: Etihad Rail
    A rendering of some of Etihad Rail's freight services. Trains from Khalifa Port will chiefly carry shipping containers. Photo: Etihad Rail
  • Etihad Rail already operates a freight service in Abu Dhabi's Al Dhafra region. Photo: Wam
    Etihad Rail already operates a freight service in Abu Dhabi's Al Dhafra region. Photo: Wam
  • The new marine bridge will form an integral part of the UAE-wide freight network once it becomes operational. Photo: Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    The new marine bridge will form an integral part of the UAE-wide freight network once it becomes operational. Photo: Khushnum Bhandari / The National
Tips for job-seekers
  • Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
  • Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.

David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East

Full Party in the Park line-up

2pm – Andreah

3pm – Supernovas

4.30pm – The Boxtones

5.30pm – Lighthouse Family

7pm – Step On DJs

8pm – Richard Ashcroft

9.30pm – Chris Wright

10pm – Fatboy Slim

11pm – Hollaphonic

 

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

The biog

Hometown: Cairo

Age: 37

Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror

Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing

Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition

MATCH INFO

Liverpool 3

Sadio Man 28'

Andrew Robertson 34'

Diogo Jota 88'

Arsenal 1

Lacazette 25'

Man of the match

Sadio Mane (Liverpool)

Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut

Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”

MATCH INFO

Everton 2 Southampton 1
Everton: Walcott (15'), Richarlison (31' )
Southampton: Ings (54')

Man of the match: Theo Walcott (Everton)

Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

Desert Warrior

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Rating: 3/5

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Floward%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERiyadh%2C%20Saudi%20Arabia%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbdulaziz%20Al%20Loughani%20and%20Mohamed%20Al%20Arifi%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EE-commerce%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbout%20%24200%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAljazira%20Capital%2C%20Rainwater%20Partners%2C%20STV%20and%20Impact46%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C200%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: 2018 Kia Picanto

Price: From Dh39,500

Engine: 1.2L inline four-cylinder

Transmission: Four-speed auto

Power: 86hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque: 122Nm @ 4,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 6.0L / 100km

Updated: May 16, 2023, 3:55 AM