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.

Official confirms Etihad Rail stage 2 tender release

UAE minister confirms restarting preparations for the second stage of 1,200-kilometre railway network UAE Infrastructure Development Minister Abdulla Belhaif al-Nuaimi has confirmed that Etihad Railway, the federal railway authority, is seeking ...

Debt relief for DXB Entertainments

Payments for AED4.2bn ($1.15bn) facility deferred for 15 months as Legoland Hotel launch is delayed DXB Entertainments, the Dubai Financial Market-listed operator of Dubai Parks and Resorts, has received debt relief ...

EXCLUSIVE: Adnoc expected to seek contractors for Dalma gas field in third quarter

Scope of work includes building platforms and pipelines at offshore sour gas field in Abu Dhabi Adnoc Sour Gas – the sour gas unit of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company ...

Abu Dhabi to tender Borouge 4 in mid-2020

Maire Tecnimont is expected to take between one and one a half years to complete the feed works Abu Dhabi Polymers Company (Borouge), the joint venture of Adnoc and Austria’s Borealis, ...

CONNECT SERIES: A new road for project finance

Infrastructure owners are seeking new ways to fund strategic projects With national finances straining from weak oil prices and the unplanned spending needed to support economies through the Covid-19 pandemic, one ...

GCC projects market slumps in 2018

Latest data from MEED Projects shows a continuing decline in the value of new contracts awarded The value of projects awarded in the GCC last year fell by 22 per cent ...

Dubai prepares deep sewage tunnel tenders

Dubai Municipality is expected to tender construction work for the scheme during the first quarter of this year Dubai Municipality is preparing to issue tender documents for construction work for the ...

Closing the healthcare talent gap

This is article is the third in a series from the MEED-Mashreq Healthcare Business Leaders Forum held on 23 February in Dubai. The event saw leading industry experts gather to ...

Egypt growth to continue with support

Fnancial support, project investment and tourism are key factors for Egypt's recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic Given it is the most populous Arab country, with 42,980 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 1,484 ...

Future projects are threatened by subdued population growth

Governments are starting to shelve upcoming projects that are no longer considered necessary It is now five years since oil prices began to collapse in late 2014. As a major oil ...