Etihad Rail

Etihad Rail is the developer and operator of the national railway network of the United Arab Emirates. It was established in June 2009 under Federal Law No. 2 to manage the development, construction and operation of a freight and passenger network that connects the country's principal ports and centres of industry and is meant to link them with other railways in the Gulf Cooperation Council. Stage One, a line of 264 kilometres carrying granulated sulphur from Shah and Habshan to the port of Ruwais, began commercial operation in January 2016 and was run by Etihad Rail DB, a joint venture with Deutsche Bahn that was dissolved when Etihad Rail moved to operating the network itself in 2022. Stage Two, running from Ghuweifat on the Saudi border to Fujairah on the east coast, opened in February 2023 and brought the network to 900 kilometres. When complete the standard gauge network is planned at about 1,200 kilometres and to connect all seven emirates.