The UAE and the Sultanate of Oman will allocate $3 billion to build a railway linking the two Gulf countries, the authorities announced on Wednesday.
The railway companies of the two countries, “Oman Rail” and “Etihad Rail”, signed an agreement under which a joint company will be established “to implement and operate a railway network linking Sohar Port” in the north of the Sultanate with the UAE national railway network that is still under construction, according to a statement issued. For the government of Abu Dhabi.
The joint venture, equally owned by the two railway companies, has an investment value of $3 billion.
With investments of $3 billion:
The Sultanate of Oman and the United Arab Emirates announce an agreement to develop a railway network linking Sohar Port and the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.#Oman_welcomes_Mohammed_bin_Zayed #GovernmentCommunication pic.twitter.com/fttii1CRfK– Government Communications (@Oman_GC) September 28, 2022
The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the visit of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to the Omani capital. No date has been announced for the start of operation of the 303-kilometer railway.
The Abu Dhabi government said that the speed of passenger trains reaches 200 km / h, covering the distance “in 100 minutes and 47 minutes between Sohar and Al Ain”, while the speed of freight trains does not exceed 120 km / h.
Sohar, located 200 km north of Muscat, has an important industrial area and a port operated in partnership with the Port of Rotterdam.
Abdul Rahman Salem Al Hatmi, CEO of Asyad Group, the parent company of Oman Railways, said in the statement that “the joint railway project between the two countries will bring many strategic, economic and social benefits,” noting “the strengthening and regulation of the logistics sector, and raising the performance of the tourism services sector.” .
The project, according to the statement, will link the population and industrial centers between the two countries.
For its part, Etihad Rail is responsible for the construction of a 1,200 km railway network for passengers and freight across the UAE.
On the sidelines of the visit of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, may God protect him, to the sisterly Sultanate of Oman, Oman Rail and Etihad Rail signed an agreement to establish Oman and Etihad Rail Company with the aim of designing, developing and operating a railway network for transporting passengers and goods. pic.twitter.com/R4awxEyOTY
— Etihad Rail (@Etihad_Rail) September 28, 2022
This project aims to eventually become part of a more comprehensive railway network linking the six Arab Gulf states: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman.
Railways currently operate only within the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and only transport freight trains.