Etihad Rail has completed the excavation work on all nine tunnels on the UAE National Rail Network.
Once completed, the network will measure about 1,200 kilometres, connecting Shah and Habshan to Ruwais, and link the UAE to Saudi Arabia.
Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, the Ruler of Fujairah, Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah, and Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed, chairman of Etihad Rail, visited the Sakamkam area in the emirate to mark the completion of the excavation works.
The tunnels extend over 6.9 kilometres and were completed two months ahead of schedule.
More than 600 experts, specialists, and labourers put in one million working hours on the project, using the latest tunnelling machinery and modern technologies.
To complete the work without disturbing local communities and wildlife, Etihad Rail took precautionary measures to limit the noise and vibrations, including using special equipment to reduce the impact of explosive blasts.
The Ruler of Fujairah lauded the efforts of Etihad Rail while Sheikh Theyab expressed his appreciation for the efforts of the governments of Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah, and their unlimited support for the Etihad Rail project.
Sheikh Hamad also thanked the federal and local parties who took part in this stage of the project, and praised the team who managed to overcome major topographical challenges during the excavation works, without any accidents.
The development of the UAE National Rail Network is proceeding according to schedule.
Stage one is complete and operating along a 264-kilometre route from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais, transporting sulphur.
Stage two links the UAE and Saudi Arabia from Fujairah Port to Ghuweifat, through Mussafah, Khalifa Port and Jebel Ali Port.
It is hoped the vast infrastructure project will enhance the UAE's position as a global and regional hub for transport, shipping and logistics.
Once fully operational, the fleet of trains and wagons running on the Etihad Rail network will replace 5,600 daily road trips by lorries.
A fully loaded train emits up to 80 per cent less carbon dioxide than lorries transporting the same tonnage.
UAE’s Etihad Rail completes key construction work
The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
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The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Seattle from Dh5,555 return, including taxes. Portland is a 260 km drive from Seattle and Emirates offers codeshare flights to Portland with its partner Alaska Airlines.
The car
Hertz (www.hertz.ae) offers compact car rental from about $300 per week, including taxes. Emirates Skywards members can earn points on their car hire through Hertz.
Parks and accommodation
For information on Crater Lake National Park, visit www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm . Because of the altitude, large parts of the park are closed in winter due to snow. While the park’s summer season is May 22-October 31, typically, the full loop of the Rim Drive is only possible from late July until the end of October. Entry costs $25 per car for a day. For accommodation, see www.travelcraterlake.com. For information on Umpqua Hot Springs, see www.fs.usda.gov and https://soakoregon.com/umpqua-hot-springs/. For Bend, see https://www.visitbend.com/.
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Indian construction workers stranded in Ajman with unpaid dues
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While Huawei did launch the first smartphone with a 50MP image sensor in its P40 series in 2020, Oppo in 2014 introduced the Find 7, which was capable of taking 50MP images: this was done using a combination of a 13MP sensor and software that resulted in shots seemingly taken from a 50MP camera.
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