OMAN-UAE Rail project enters implementation phase
Ahmed al Musawa al Hashemi, CEO of Hafeet Rail, confirmed that the railway project connecting Oman and the United Arab Emirates has entered the implementation phase.
This development follows several significant steps, beginning with the signing of a partnership agreement between stakeholders and the awarding of major contracts for the project to a Uae-omani consortium comprising companies from both nations operating as one team.
Speaking to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on the sidelines of the joint UAE-OMAN Business Forum in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, Hashemi said that the project will yield numerous economic and social benefits.
He expressed his expectations that the UAE-OMAN railway project will serve as a catalyst for further cooperation in various economic and industrial sectors, noting its direct impact on passenger movement between the two countries, further boosting tourism and ties between their peoples.
Hashemi added that the rail
way line in this project extends from the existing network in the UAE, specifically from the Al Wathba area to the city and port of Sohar, passing through diverse geographical regions, including deserts, mountains, and valleys, and running alongside Jebel Hafeet, from which the joint venture company Hafeet Rail derives its name.
In his statement to WAM, Mohammed bin Zahran al Mahruqi, Deputy CEO of Hafeet Rail affirmed that the UAEOman railway project will serve multiple sectors in both countries and contribute to the development of new sectors previously nonexistent due to the difficulty of transporting goods.
He pointed out the project's environmental benefits by reducing carbon dioxide emissions. The train's capacity, equivalent to 300 trucks, will reduce 80% of carbon emissions generated by trucks.
Mahruqi discussed the economic impact, highlighting freight trains' role in enhancing trade exchange between the two countries, with a cargo capacity of up to 15,000 tonnes of general goods and approximately 270 standard containers.