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GCC Secretariat General, government transport authorities, ministries and railway companies from 6 GCC member states among attendees at high profile rail meeting -
Abu Dhabi, UAE: Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the UAE's US$11 billion national rail network, hosted the 7th meeting of the GCC Railway Expert Working Group in a three-day event held in the UAE capital from 10-12 May 2016. The meeting brought together members of the Gulf Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC), railway companies from the six GCC member states and high-profile delegates from relevant transport authorities and ministries.
Created to foster dialogue on the railway agenda across the six member states, the GCC Railway Expert Working Group meeting addressed the ongoing technical, operational, institutional and commercial considerations that will ensure the implementation of a state-of-the-art railway network.
Participating authorities and ministries envision a railway infrastructure complete with signal systems, cross-functional industry knowledge-sharing between national operational control centres, a fully integrated approach to safety and security, certification of railway employees, as well as cost and revenue sharing agreements between railway operators and stakeholders across the GCC.
"Etihad Rail is pleased to host this edition of the GCC Railway Expert Working Group, as we collectively review progressive technical and operational ways to outline the next steps for a shared rail network that will act as a catalyst for socioeconomic growth across the region," said Eng. Faris Saif Al Mazrouei, CEO of Etihad Rail.
During his opening speech, His Excellency Dr. Abdulla Al Katheeri, Director General - FTA & ER Board Member, echoed Etihad Rail's commitment to close collaboration with partners and stakeholders to ensure the completion of the UAE's national railway, and highlighted the significance of the three-day assembly, which focussed on the detailed engineering, design and technical guidelines that will foster progress toward project completion.
When complete, the GCC railway network will link member states Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
About Etihad Rail (www.etihadrail.ae)
Etihad Rail was established in June 2009 under Federal Law no. 2, with a mandate to manage the development, construction and operation of the UAE's national freight and passenger railway network. Being built in three stages, the railway network will link the principal centres of population and industry of the UAE, and will form a vital part of the planned GCC railway network across the six countries of the GCC.
In December 2015, the Federal Transport Authority - Land and Maritime (FTA) granted approval for commercial operations on Stage One, which has carried more than 5.2 million tonnes of granulated sulphur as of March 2016. The 264-km Stage One stretches from the gas fields of Shah and Habshan to the sulphur export point of Ruwais via the Mirfa depot. Stage Two will connect the railway to Musaffah, Khalifa Port and Jebel Ali port and will see the railway extend to the Saudi and Omani borders.
In addition to the Operational & Maintenance Agreement with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) for the transport of sulphur between Habshan and Shah to Ruwais, Etihad Rail is also in advanced commercial and technical negotiations with other prospective partners, including DP World, ESI, Arkan, and others.
To date, Etihad Rail has signed more than 50 Memoranda of Understanding with a number of customers throughout the Emirates - in industries ranging from petrochemicals and agriculture to aggregates and waste - all of whom recognise rail as the preferred mode of transport for their goods.
Built to international standards, Etihad Rail's state-of-the-art network will span approximately 1,200 km, acting as a catalyst for economic growth and sustained social development. Upon completion, the railway will redefine logistics and transport in the region, providing a modern, safe, efficient and sustainable mode of transport that will connect all regions of the UAE to its neighbouring GCC countries.
Media Contact:
Etihad Rail Communications team
Tel: +971 2 4999 712
Email: communications@etihadrail.ae
Website: www.etihadrail.ae
© Press Release 2016
