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UAE and Oman qualify rail link bidders

15 August 2023

The Oman-Etihad Railway Company has qualified companies that can bid for the three civil works packages for the railway project linking the two countries.

The following companies have been qualified to bid for package A, which is also called UAE Civil Package A:

  • Galfar (Oman), National Projects Construction (UAE), Tristar Engineering & Construction (UAE)
  • Larsen & Toubro (India), Power China (China)
  • Western Bainoona Group (UAE), China Communications Construction Company (UAE), China Harbour Engineering Company (China)
  • China State Construction Engineering Corporation (China)

Package A includes the connection of the railway link with the existing Etihad Rail stage two network at the Al-Wathbah junction. It also includes culverts, road and wadi crossings, sand mitigation measures, road and highway diversions, permanent and temporary utility diversions, line-side civil works and about 140 kilometres (km) of rail trackwork.

Six teams were qualified for package B, which is called Oman Civil Package B.

They are:

  • Galfar Engineering & Contracting (Oman), National Projects Construction (UAE), Tristar Engineering & Construction (UAE)
  • Larsen & Toubro (India), Power China (China)
  • Sarooj Construction Company (Oman), China Communications Construction Company (UAE), China Harbour Engineering Company (China)
  • Saipem (Italy), Nurol Construction (Turkiye)
  • Ozkar Construction Company (Turkiye), Ozaltin Holding (Turkiye), Limak Holding (Turkiye)
  • United Gulf (Oman), Makyol (Turkiye), Cengiz (Turkiye)

Package B includes two tunnels of approximately 1.7km and 1.6km each, as well as culverts, wadi crossings, sand mitigation measures, road and highway diversions, permanent and temporary utility diversions, line-side civil works, the Hafeet freight facility and about 70km of rail trackwork.

Seven teams have been qualified to bid for package C, known as Oman Civil Package C.

They are:

  • Galfar Engineering & Contracting (Oman), National Projects Construction (UAE), Tristar Engineering & Construction (UAE)
  • Larsen & Toubro (India), Power China (China)
  • Sarooj Construction Company (Oman), China Communications Construction Company (UAE), China Harbour Engineering Company (China)
  • Saipem (Italy), Nurol Construction (Turkiye)
  • Makyol (Turkiye), Cengiz Holding (Turkiye), United Gulf Construction Company (Oman)
  • Archirodon (Greece), China State Construction Engineering Corporation (China)
  • Alghanim International (Kuwait), IRCON (India), Hassan Allam Holding (Egypt)

This package includes viaducts totalling approximately 21km and ranging in height from about 10 metres to over 20 metres, as well as culverts, wadi crossings, sand mitigation measures, road and highway diversions, permanent and temporary utility diversions, line-side civil works and about 96km of rail trackwork.

MEED reported in June that the Oman-Etihad Rail Company is expected to complete the prequalification process for the civil works package of the UAE-Oman Rail Network in the third quarter of this year.

In July, the company invited expressions of interest for a tender covering project management consultancy services on the UAE-Oman railway link.

The project

The Oman-Etihad Rail Company was established in September last year to implement the railway network between the two countries.

The project recently received a push after the Oman-Etihad Rail Company inked a strategic agreement with Abu Dhabi-based Mubadala Investment Company to support its development.

The UAE-Oman Rail Network is set to improve the competitiveness of the two countries in global trade, and help establish their positions as logistics hubs that serve as gateways to regional markets.

The scheme supports both countries’ sustainable development goals by improving their transport and infrastructure sectors.

The line is expected to reduce the overall cost of supply chains due to its increased efficiency compared to other modes of transport. The network will also provide trade and investment opportunities for the private sector, as well as new job opportunities.

Passenger trains will run up to 200km an hour on the line, reducing the journey time between Sohar and Abu Dhabi to 100 minutes and between Sohar and Al-Ain to 47 minutes.

Freight trains will reach a top speed of 120km/hour.

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Yasir Iqbal

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