Contracts awarded to Chinese and UAE companies
Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the UAE national railway, has approved the award agreement for civil and track works of Packages B and C for Stage Two of the UAE national railway network connecting Abu Dhabi and Dubai, during a recent board meeting, chaired by Sheikh Theyab Bin Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahayan, Chairman of Etihad Rail, according to a report by WAM, the UAE state news agency.
The total value of the works awarded is AED 4.4bn (US$ 1.2bn). Package B runs for 216km, and Package C runs for 94km, and the two packages are part of the 605km line from Ghuweifat on the Saudi Arabian border to the Port of Fujairah on the UAE East coast.
Sheikh Theyab Al Nahayan attended the contract signing ceremony to award the civil and track works on the two packages to China Railway Construction Corporation, (CRCC), and Ghantoot Transport & General Contracting Company.
The contract was signed by Shadi Malak, CEO, Etihad Rail; Wang Jinsong, the authorized representative of CRCC, and Ali Mohamed Sadiq Albloushi, Chairman of Ghantoot Transport & General Contracting.
Growth sustenance
“Etihad Rail will sustain the growth of our transport industry and freight carriage sector throughout the UAE, as railway systems are one of the most important means of transport on which countries depend to achieve their economic and social objectives,” affirmed Sheikh Theyab Al Nahayan.
The launch of Packages B and C as part of the second stage of this project to connect all of the emirates is a milestone in the future prospects of the United Arab Emirates. The importance of the two packages lies in the fact that they link key industrial entities such as Khalifa Port, Khalifa Industrial City (KIZAD), and Jebel Ali Port.
The project includes links to strategic ports and industrial areas nationwide, along a distance of 310 km. It is the backbone of the UAE national railway network, upgrading the transport and shipping industry by connecting ports, manufacturing and production points, as well as urban locations.
The works on this part of Stage Two focus on the design and construction of rail infrastructure, including earth works, bridges, tunnels, animal-crossings and track-laying, connecting Package B with Package A, and Package C with Package B.
Contracts awarded
Etihad Rail has previously awarded Package A to a consortium of the China State Construction Engineering Corporation and South Korea’s SK Engineering and Construction. When complete, the 1,200km Etihad Rail project will link the UAE’s principal centres of industry, manufacturing, production, population, and import/export points, forming an integral part of the GCC-wide railway network.
Etihad Rail was established in June 2009 under Federal Law No. 2, with the mandate to manage the development, construction and operation of the UAE’s national freight and passenger railway network. The railway network will link the principal centres of population and industry of the UAE, and will form a vital part of the planned GCC railway network across the GCC.
Etihad Rail has successfully completed Stage One of the network which is now fully operational having been delivered on schedule and within budget. The route spans 264 km, transporting sulphur from sources at Shah and Habshan to the export point at Ruwais in the country’s sprawling Western Al Dhafra region.
Stage Two links the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia from Fujairah to Ghuweifat via Mussafah, Khalifa Port and Jebel Ali Port. Built to international standards, Etihad Rail’s advanced network will span approximately 1,200 km, acting as a catalyst for economic growth and sustained social development countries.
