UAE President Receives Etihad Rail Project Team

President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan received the team working on Etihad Rail – the UAE’s national railway project – at Qasr Al Bahr Majlis on Tuesday. The team was accompanied by Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, member of the executive committee and chairman of Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the UAE’s national rail network.

Throughout the meeting, Sheikh Mohammed spoke with the delegation and heard about their experiences working on the project, the challenges they encountered and the lessons learned. He also praised their efforts over the past five years to complete this national strategic priority project.

The UAE President emphasized that the development of a modern integrated infrastructure that meets the highest international standards is a top priority for sustainable development as it can bring economic and social benefits to all UAE citizens.

“The launch of the national railway system and the operation of freight trains has boosted our domestic economy and marks the beginning of a new phase of our country’s development, prosperity, well-being of its people and the well-being of everyone living in the UAE,” Sheikh Mohammed said.

The delegation expressed its gratitude for the support of the national cadres, who have shown their worth in various employment fields, and expressed their pleasure to work on this national project, which is an important economic tributary of the country and an important turning point. point in its development.

The meeting was attended by Saqr Ghobash, Speaker of the Federal National Assembly, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Representative of Al Ain Regional Ruler, Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Charitable and Humanitarian Institutions, Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, Deputy Prime Minister and President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Government, Abu Dhabi Executive Council Member Sheikh Hamid bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Diplomacy and International Cooperation Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Ministry, and HH Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Advisor to the President of the UAE; Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Member of the Executive Council and Abu Dhabi Chairman of the Executive Office, Sheikh Theab bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Zayed bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, State Media The Chairman of the Office, Sheikh Khalid bin Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, the Deputy Chairman of the Ras Al Khaimah Investment and Development Office and Sheikh Saqr bin Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, as well as some Sheikhs, guests and UAE citizens.

The national rail network, which opened in February as part of a major engineering project, spans a variety of geographic terrain and includes 593 bridges and crossings, as well as nine 6.5-kilometre-long tunnels.

The network spans approximately 900 kilometers across the country. The freight train fleet consists of 38 locomotives and more than 1,000 wagons capable of carrying a variety of goods.

The network contributes to the UAE’s Sustainable Development Goals by reducing carbon emissions from the country’s land transport sector by 21% and per capita emissions by 40% by 2050. The network added AED 200 billion to the national economy and saved AED 8 billion in road maintenance costs, as well as AED 23 billion in tourism revenue.

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