The implementation phase for the US $3bn railway project between the Sultanate of Oman and the UAE has begun, according to Ahmed Al Musawa Al Hashemi, a top official of Oman Rail and Etihad Rail Company. The joint venture company between Oman Rail and Etihad Rail Company has also been rebranded to Hafeet Rail, and will operate the railway network linking Sohar Port to the UAE National Rail Network.

The rebranding announcement was made on the sidelines of the joint UAE-Oman Business Forum in Abu Dhabi, where three major agreements pertaining to the joint rail project were sealed.

“The UAE-Oman railway project will serve as a catalyst for further cooperation in various economic and industrial sectors, noting its direct impact on passenger movement between the two countries, further boosting tourism and ties between their peoples,” stated Al Hashemi.

Al Hashemi added that several tangible steps have been taken, starting with the signing of the partnership agreement between stakeholders, and the awarding of major contracts for the project to a UAE-Omani alliance comprising companies from both countries operating as one team.

The first is a partnership agreement between Etihad Rail, Oman Rail and Mubadala Investment signalling the project commencement. The second is a set of civil contracts for the joint network, awarded to an Omani-Emirati joint venture led by Trojan Construction Group and Galfar Engineering and Contracting. The third involves the systems and integration contracts for the railway network, awarded to a partnership between Siemens and HAC, said a report.

On the new identity, Al Hashemi said the name pays tribute to the Jabal Hafeet region which extends between Oman and the UAE.

The railway line in this project extends from the existing network in the UAE, specifically from the Al Wathba area to the city and the port of Sohar, passing through diverse geographical areas from desert to mountainous and valley regions, and running alongside Jebel Hafeet, he concluded.