UAE high-speed rail bidders revealed
17 January 2025
Local and international contractors are teaming up to bid for contracts to design and build the civil works and stations for the railway line connecting Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
The UAE’s Etihad Rail has tendered a contract to design and build the civil works and station packages for the high-speed railway (HSR) project.
The tender notice was issued on 10 January with a bid submission deadline of 7 May.
MEED understands that the make-up of the teams is:
Abu Dhabi section
- Hyundai Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
- China Harbour Engineering Company (China)
- China Tiesiju Civil Engineering Group / Western Bainoona Group / China Railway International Group / China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group (China/local/China/China)
- Dogus Insaat Ve Ticaret (Turkiye)
- Gulermak (Turkiye)
- Cengiz Insaat Sanayi Ve Ticaret (Turkiye)
- China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation / China Railway 11th Bureau Group / China Railway Construction Electrification Bureau / China Railway First Survey & Design Institute (China)
- Larsen & Toubro / Hilal Bil Badi & Partners (India/local)
- National Projects & Construction / China State Construction Engineering / Kalyon Insaat Sanayi Ve Ticaret / Trojan (local/China/Turkiye/local)
- Power Construction Corporation of China / Shanghai Tunnel Engineering (China)
- Samsung C&T Corporation (South Korea)
- Vinci Construction / Orascom Construction / Archirodon (France/Egypt/Greece)
- Webuild / Tristar Engineering & Construction (Italy/local)
Dubai section
- Hyundai Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
- China Harbour Engineering Company (China)
- China Tiesiju Civil Engineering Group / Agility / China Railway International Group / China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group (China/local/China/China)
- Dogus Insaat Ve Ticaret (Turkiye)
- Gulermak (Turkiye)
- Cengiz Insaat Sanayi Ve Ticaret (Turkiye)
- China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation / China Railway 11th Bureau Group / China Railway Construction Electrification Bureau / China Railway First Survey and Design Institute (China)
- Larsen & Toubro / Wade Adams (India/local)
- National Projects & Construction / China State Construction Engineering / Kalyon Insaat Sanayi Ve Ticaret / Trojan (local/China/Turkiye/local)
- Power Construction Corporation of China / Shanghai Tunnel Engineering (China)
- Samsung C&T Corporation (South Korea)
- Vinci Construction / Orascom Construction / Archirodon / Bouygues (France/Egypt/Greece/France)
- Webuild / Tristar Engineering & Construction (Italy/local)
The make-up of the consortiums is expected to change as some of the firms are still in the process of finalising the teams.
Earlier this month, MEED exclusively reported that Etihad Rail is expected to issue the request for proposals (RFP) for the project in the first quarter of 2025.
Etihad Rail started the post-prequalification clarifications with firms after they submitted prequalification documents on 21 November last year.
In September last year, MEED exclusively reported on the construction plans for the UAE’s HSR network. The design speed of the trains running on the network will be 350 kilometres an hour (km/h) and the operating speed will be 320km/h.
The proposed HSR programme will be constructed in four phases, gradually adding further connectivity to other areas within the UAE.
- The first phase involves the construction of a railway line connecting Abu Dhabi and Dubai, which is expected to be operational by 2030
- The second phase will involve the development of an inner-city railway network with 10 stations within Abu Dhabi city
- The third phase of the railway network involves the construction of a connection between Abu Dhabi and Al-Ain
- The fourth phase involves the development of an inter-emirate connection between Dubai and Sharjah
The 150-kilometre (km) first phase of the HSR will stretch from the Al-Zahiyah area of Abu Dhabi to Al-Jaddaf in Dubai.
The project’s civil works have been split into two packages – Abu Dhabi and Dubai – comprising four sections. The scope of these sections includes:
Phase 1A: Al-Zahiyah to Yas Island (23.5km)
Phase 1B: Yas Island to the border of Abu Dhabi/Dubai (64.2km)
Phase 1C: Abu Dhabi/Dubai border to Al-Jaddaf (52.1km)
Phase 1D: Abu Dhabi airport delta junction and connection with Abu Dhabi airport station (9.2km)
The project will include tunnelling works totalling 31km.
The rail line will have five stations: Al-Zahiyah (ADT), Saadiyat Island (ADS), Yas Island (YAS), Abu Dhabi airport (AUH) and Al-Jaddaf (DJD).
The ADT, AUH and DJD stations will be underground, while ADS will be elevated and YAS will be at grade.
The overall construction package also includes provisions for the rolling stock, railway systems and two maintenance depots.
The high-speed project will slash journey times between the UAE’s two largest cities and economic centres. The journey time between the YAS and DJD stations will be 30 minutes.
The preliminary site testing works have begun. Dubai-based Matcon Testing Laboratory and Abu Dhabi’s Engineering & Research International are conducting drilling tests to ascertain the ground conditions in areas through which the HSR will pass.
Spanish engineering firms Sener and Ineco are the project’s engineering consultants.
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