New Rails in the Desert will Provide Major Economic Boost

The plan to construct and operate a 1200 kilometre railway network in the UAE at a cost of £7.4 bn will see new rails in the desert.

The rail network is co-ordinated by the Gulf Co-Operation Council made up of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE. Etihad Rail, the organisation overseeing the project has entered into memoranda of understanding with 14 companies in the chemical, logistics and agriculture sectors.

With the project running to plan, the first phase is expected to be completed at the end of 2013, which will see the 264 km freight line from the port of Ruwais to the Habshan and Shah gas fields. Up to 22,000 tonnes of sulphur per day will be transported. This will remove the need to transport the sulphur in 300 lorry movements per day.

Building a brand new rail network in the desert is a challenge. Shifting sands, and a salt crust underground which is unfriendly to construction materials present major and unique difficulties. Etihad Rail has been working with Saudi Arabian engineers to follow their best practices and geomorphological studies have been undertaken. Protection of the desert ecosystem has been paramount throughout the project.

The network is poised to provide a major economic, social and environmental stimulus for the country.