UAE, Oman invite bids for $3bn cross-border rail project

DUBAI – Oman Railways and Etihad Rail are inviting companies specializing in major infrastructure projects in Dubai to pre-qualify OmanAs part of a $3 billion joint venture to develop and build a railway network between the two countries, the Oman News Agency reported on Wednesday.

The move is aimed at expanding the role of the private sector in the state-owned project and the national economies of both countries to link Oman’s Sohar port to the northern part of the country with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) national railway network.

Consortiums of local companies and joint ventures from Oman and the UAE have until March 27 to apply with a bid fee of US$13,6154.70 (AED50,000), stating their eligibility, completion date and method.

The 188-mile railway is part of a larger project to link the UAE national rail network Launched last month, it aims to connect all seven emirates of the country with a major railway stretching 560 miles.

Etihad Rail’s train network, consisting of 38 locomotives and 1,000 multipurpose vehicles, can carry 60 million tons of freight annually and is expected to contribute $54.46 billion to the country’s economy over the next 50 years, partly due to the planned The Oman and Etihad Railways link railways.

The train is expected to improve the logistics of transporting goods, materials and people between the two countries more efficiently by reducing travel time.

The passenger trains are designed to cut travel time from the northern coastal city of Sohar to the Al Ain region from one hour and 40 minutes to about 47 minutes, traveling at a speed of 200 kilometers (124 miles) per hour.

Through this project, the two countries aim to unlock new economic opportunities through increased business exchanges and social travel, better connectivity of major urban centers for tourists, and more seamless industrial solutions.

Etihad Rail and Oman Railways announced a partnership with UAE sovereign wealth fund Mubadala in September 2022 to build a $3 billion rail network, WAM reported.

According to Etihad Rail, Emirates Railways will also be the gateway to the expected GCC Railway Network In the future, it will connect to countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar.