UAE-Oman travel time to be made shorter with new railway project

Journeys between the UAE and Oman are set to be made faster after a railway deal was finally inked between the two neighbouring Gulf states.

The Oman and Etihad Rail Company – which was formed from a merger of Oman Rail and Etihad Rail, and both develops and operates the rail network between the two countries - signed an agreement with Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Company to develop a railway network.

.@Etihad_Rail and @Oman_Rail joint venture, the Oman-Etihad Rail Company, has partnered with @Mubadala to develop the 303km UAE-Oman rail network route, worth more than AED11 billion, connecting Oman’s Sohar Port with the UAE National Rail Network. pic.twitter.com/47EbnVU3tK

— مكتب أبوظبي الإعلامي (@admediaoffice) February 21, 2023

The 11 billion AED ($3 billion) deal will create a 303 km railway. It aims to “increase market competitiveness and reduce the overall cost of supply chains due to its increased efficiency compared to other modes of transport,” a report said.

Once complete, the trains will run up to 200 km per hour, therefore cutting travel time between Oman’s Sohar and the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, to 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Travel time from Sohar to the UAE’s Al Ain will be around 47 minutes.

"The rail network between Oman and UAE is of strategic importance as it is a valuable addition to the logistics service sector in both countries, and contribute to increasing their competitiveness in the market by reducing the total cost of the supply chain," said the CEO of Oman and Etihad Rail Company, Ahmed Al Musawa Al Hashemi.

Oman in 2016 decided to delay the project to meet the schedule of other Gulf countries which had put a pause on works.