ASIA: Three agreements have been signed paving the way for construction of a 303 km mixed-traffic railway linking the port of Sohar in Oman with Abu Dhabi in the UAE.
The contracts for the project, which is expected to have a total budget of around US$3bn, were announced on April 23 during the joint UAE-Omani Business Forum in Abu Dhabi.
At the same event, the Oman – Etihad Rail joint venture of national railway project promoters Oman Rail and Etihad Rail, which was formed in September 2022, announced that it is to rebrand as Hafeet Rail. Hafeet Rail will also maintain the railway line between Sohar and the existing UAE national rail network.
Partnership agreement
As part of the procurement package, Hafeet Rail signed a partnership agreement with Mubadala Investment Company, a state-owned holding group based in Abu Dhabi and backed by the sovereign wealth fund of the UAE. Mohammed bin Zahran Al Mahruqi, Deputy CEO of Hafeet Rail, said that ‘the signing of this agreement marks the actual start of the project and construction works’.
In a second agreement, the project promoter agreed a contract for civil works worth approximately US$1·3bn with a joint venture of Trojan Construction Group (UAE) and Galfar Engineering and Contracting (Oman). ‘The tender allocation reflects a clear vision aimed at empowering and developing national cadres and contractors, enhancing local value-added, and involving the private sector in this vital project’, Al Mahruqi said.
Signalling and telecoms contract
A consortium of Siemens Mobility and Hassan Allam Construction has been awarded the third package. This design-build railway systems and integration contract covers the design, delivery, implementation and integration of the telecommunications and power supply systems, as well as provision of a desert-proof ETCS Level 2 train control equipment.
Ayman Ashour, CEO of Siemens Mobility in the UAE, said the company was ‘deeply honoured and proud to have been entrusted by Oman – Etihad Rail with this strategic project that will not only contribute to the social and economic furtherment of both countries, but which I believe will be a ground-breaking project for the entire region’.
Passenger trains on the Sohar – Abu Dhabi line would run at 200 km/h and offer a 1 h 40 min end-to-end journey time. Freight trains would run at up to 120 km/h.
