EXCLUSIVE: Abu Dhabi moves on stalled rail project

28 November, 2017 | By JENNIFER AGUINALDO

Abu Dhabi has re-engaged with stakeholders for the design and route alignment for the upcoming phases of Etihad Rail, the UAE’s federal railway network.

This includes the rail project’s second stage, for which procurement was suspended in early 2016.

“We were told Stage 2 is no longer on hold,” a source who was present at a high-level meeting held last week tells MEED.

During the meeting, senior officials at the Abu Dhabi-based Federal Transport Authority and Fujairah Municipality primarily discussed the need for minor revisions to the current route alignment for Stage 3, which will link the railway to Fujairah as well as Ras al-Khaimah and Sharjah.

MEED earlier reported that the client, Etihad Rail, met with stakeholders in late 2016.

However, neither the FTA nor Etihad Rail has officially confirmed reviving the procurement process for Stage 2 so far.

MEED understands securing funding remains a key issue for the succeeding phases of the scheme.

Etihad Rail suspended the procurement for Stage 2 of the 1,200-kilometre national railway in January 2016, following a 30 per cent employee reduction.

The main package for the 628km Stage 2 has been tendered twice. Two groups were believed to have been shortlisted in the first tender. They include:

Salini Impregilo (Italy) / Samsung C&T (South Korea) / Tristar (local)
China Railway Construction Company (China ) / Ghantoot Group (local)

Based on the original design, Stage 2 will connect the railway to Mussafah, to the ports in Abu Dhabi and Jebel Ali, and to the Saudi and Omani borders.

Etihad Rail has been operational since late 2015.

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) is the offtaker for the railway’s first stage, which is used mainly to transport granulated sulphur from Shah and Habshan to the Mirfa depot in Ruwais, from where it is being exported.

The transformation of regional power

The Middle East’s power sector is on a transformational path, with governments working to shore up energy security and delegate responsibilities to the private sector Demand growth for additional generation capacity ...

Ten Minutes into the Future of Energy

Acwa Power highlights need for private investment Paddy Padmanathan, chief executive of Acwa Power, tells MEED bold action is needed to address the world’s energy challenge “The biggest challenge we face is ...

Energy trends – MEED Mashreq Energy Partnership Newsletter – March 2020

ENERGY BRIEFING PAPERS THE QUEST FOR GAS About $33.5bn-worth of gas exploration and production projects are under execution across the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) according to MEED’s projects database MEED ...

Bee’ah sets sights on digitalisation and renewable energy

All new economies will rely on sustainability and digitalisation, Bee’ah group CEO Khaled al-Huraimel tells MEED Sharjah will be the first city in the Middle East region to reach zero waste ...

Adnoc schemes buoy UAE projects market

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) has recently made good progress with several strategic onshore and offshore projects The UAE has $123bn-worth of active project contracts under execution and projects valued ...

Dubai said to halt new project spending

Government departments reportedly asked to value-engineer ongoing schemes and hold off on new projects Dubai’s Department of Finance ordered a 50 per cent cut in capital spending and asked to delay ...

UAE positions economy for recovery

Abu Dhabi's recovery depends on oil prices, while Dubai needs a rebound in aviation and tourism The UAE had 40,507 Covid-19 infections by 11 June, and although this number continues to ...

A new approach to large financings

With oil prices starting to firm, lenders from within the region and beyond are coming under pressure to close a looming funding gap facing major projects. In the GCC alone, ...

Expo 2020 provides launchpad for innovation

From long-range e-bikes to intelligent bathrooms with future-proof taps, the expo will showcase energy-efficient technological marvels from across the world when it finally opens its doors in October next year The ...

Dubai construction sector will continue to decline

More projects are being completed than started as Expo 2020 deadline looms Dubai’s construction sector is in delivery mode. With just over one year to go until the opening of Expo ...