Etihad Rail awards $1.19bn contract to China Railway Construction Corporation
Works on this part of Stage Two focus on the design and construction of rail infrastructure
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, to China Railway Construction Corporation.
The approval was granted during a board meeting, chaired by HH Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of Etihad Rail, a statement from Etihad Rail said. The contract was signed by Shadi Malak, Etihad Rail CEO, Wang Jingsong, authorised representative of China Railway Construction Corporation, and Ali Mohamed Sadiq Albloushi, chairman of Ghantoot Transport and General Contracting.
Package B runs for 216km, while Package C runs for 94km. The two packages are part of the 605km line from Ghuweifat to the Port of Fujairah on the East Coast of the country. 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.
The total value of works is $1.19 billion, the statement added.
H.H. Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed stressed the importance of the UAE national railway network, which is recognised as one of the most important economic and development projects in the UAE, saying, “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.”
He added that Etihad Rail’s strategy is to build a rail network consistent with its client’s needs and has signed a number of Memoranda of Understanding (MoU’s) with national companies who are looking to use the railway network as a business solution.
Sheikh Theyab said that the launch of Packages B and C as part of the second stage of this project to connect all the emirates is a milestone in the future prospects of the United Arab Emirates. The importance of the two packages lays in the fact that they link 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.
Etihad Rail had previously awarded Package A to a consortium of China State Construction Engineering Corporation and South Korea’s SK Engineering and Construction. Once 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.
