UAE–Oman Rail Hits 40%
- Etihad Rail, Oman Rail and Mubadala confirmed the UAE–Oman rail connection has reached about 40% physical completion. - The cross-border link is positioned as a strategic infrastructure and logistics megaproject for regional freight and connectivity. - Midway completion increases focus on last-mile works, cross-border coordination and delivery sequencing for the corridor's viability (x.com).
The rail line linking the United Arab Emirates and Oman is now about 40% built, moving the cross-border project out of planning and deeper into construction. (etihadrail.ae) Hafeet Rail, the joint venture backed by Etihad Rail, Oman Rail and Mubadala Investment, announced the milestone on April 21. The companies said the route will run 238 kilometers between the UAE network and Sohar in Oman. (etihadrail.ae) Construction is active in Al Ain, Al Buraimi, Sohar and Wadi Al Jizzi. Etihad Rail said crews have completed more than 27 million cubic meters of earthworks, poured more than 100,000 cubic meters of concrete, and are building 80 structures, 900 concrete piles and 130 box culverts. (etihadrail.ae) This is not just a passenger train. Hafeet Rail says the corridor is designed for both freight and travelers, tying Sohar to the UAE national rail network as the first Gulf Cooperation Council link in a wider regional transport chain. (hafeetrail.com) The freight case is central to the project’s pitch. Hafeet Rail says a single freight train is expected to carry more than 15,000 tonnes of cargo, or about 270 standard containers, with links planned to five major ports and more than 15 freight facilities. (hafeetrail.com) The passenger pitch is speed. Oman Rail says trains are designed to cut Sohar-to-Abu Dhabi travel time to 1 hour 40 minutes and Sohar-to-Al Ain to 47 minutes, with passenger trains running up to 200 kilometers per hour. (omanrail.om) The project has also moved through financing. In October 2024, Hafeet Rail announced $1.5 billion in project finance debt for a project valued at $2.5 billion, backed by Emirati, Omani, regional and international banks. (aletihad.ae) The route crosses urban areas, industrial zones, mountains and deep wadis, which are dry riverbeds that can flood fast in storms. Etihad Rail said that terrain requires tunnels, major bridges, large excavation works and integrated flood-protection systems. (etihadrail.ae) Officials are framing the build as a logistics corridor as much as a rail line. Asyad Group, Oman’s state logistics group, said work in Sohar and Al Buraimi is meant to connect ports, industrial zones and logistics hubs for cross-border freight movement. (asyad.om) The next test is delivery, not announcement. At 40% complete, the project still has to finish its heavy civil works, align cross-border operations and turn a 238-kilometer construction site into a working rail link between two national networks. (etihadrail.ae)
