meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

UAE minister confirms Oman rail link timeline

17 May 2023

Oman-Etihad Rail Company, the developer and operator of the $3bn UAE-Oman Rail Network, is nearing the completion of its prequalification process and is set to release the tender documents soon.

“The prequalification process is currently under way and we hope to award [the project] on schedule as planned,” said the UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure and Oman-Etihad Rail Company chairman of the board of directors, Suhail Mohamed Faraj al-Mazrouei, in an interview with MEED.

When asked about the completion of the tendering process this year, the minister confirmed it is possible.

Oman-Etihad Rail Company initiated the prequalification process for companies interested in bidding for the civil works package of the project in March. These firms are expected to demonstrate their recent experience in delivering projects of a similar scale, encompassing tasks such as earthworks, structures, track works, tunnels, freight facilities, stations and depots.

Contractors from the UAE, Oman, Turkiye, Greece, India and China are understood to have shown interest in qualifying for the civil works package of the UAE-Oman Rail Network.

The project

Oman-Etihad Rail Company is a joint venture of the sultanate’s national railway developer and operator Oman Rail and the developer and operator of the UAE’s Etihad Rail.

It was established in September last year to implement the 303-kilometre railway network between the two countries.

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

The overall investment for the planned railway link is $3bn.

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 and new job opportunities.

Passenger trains will run up to 200km per hour, 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 120km per hour.

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/10858359/main.jpg
Eva Levesque

Register for MEED's guest program now to access this article.

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Chinese firm announces $1.9bn Abu Dhabi renewables contract

    23 March 2026

    China Power Construction Corporation (PowerChina) has announced details of a contract signed for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) works on part of Abu Dhabi’s $6bn round-the-clock solar and battery storage project.

    The independent power project (IPP) will combine 5.2GW of solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity with 19GWh of battery storage. Last October, Emirates Water & Electricity Company (Ewec) and Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) broke ground on what will be the world’s largest combined solar and battery energy storage system (bess), designed to supply 1GW of round-the-clock power.

    India’s Larsen & Toubro and Beijing-headquartered PowerChina were awarded the EPC contract for the project last year, with PwC Middle East advising Ewec on financial structuring.

    According to the Chinese firm, the full project has been divided into two blocks, north and south, indicating at least two major packages. 

    PowerChina’s contract, valued at about $1.9bn, covers the northern block of the project, which includes 2.1GW of DC-side PV installations and a 7.75GWh bess. The scope includes the design, procurement and construction of substations, PV facilities and battery energy storage systems.

    Located in the Mshayrif area of Abu Dhabi, the wider project is designed to supply steady delivery of power between April and October each year, the UAE’s peak electricity demand season due to cooling loads.

    This includes serving large energy users that require 24/7 clean electricity, such as fast-growing data centre operators and technology firms driving artificial intelligence deployment in the region.

    Ewec will act as the offtaker under a long-term power purchase agreement.

    MEED previously reported that China’s CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co), Jinko Solar and JA Solar will supply the bess and PV modules, with Jinko and JA each providing 2.6GW of modules. 

    The project will avoid 5.7 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually and provide enough clean energy to power nearly half a million homes.

    Construction is expected to be completed in 2028.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16083288/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Kuwait tenders major infrastructure packages

    23 March 2026

     

    Kuwait’s Ministry of Public Works (MPW) has tendered several contracts for infrastructure works across various parts of the country.

    The first tender covers the construction of rainwater drainage systems in the Sabah Al-Ahmad South, Sabah Al-Ahmad, Al-Khairan and Al-Wafra residential areas.

    The second tender includes the construction of a treated water system in Kuwait’s southern region.

    The third tender covers the construction of a treated water system in Kuwait’s northern region.

    The final tender covers the construction of roads, bridges, stormwater drainage, sewage and other services for a section of the Kabd-Sulaibiya Road, as well as a section of the Kabd-Sulaibiya industrial road link.

    MPW issued all of these tenders on 22 March, with a bid submission deadline of 21 April.

    UK analytics firm GlobalData expects Kuwait’s construction industry to grow by 5.1% in 2026-29, supported by government investment in the oil and gas sector aimed at raising production, as well as investment in the infrastructure sector.

    In the short term, growth will be boosted by planned expenditure under the 2025-26 budget, which was approved in March 2025.

    The construction industry in Kuwait is expected to record an annual average growth rate of 4.9% in 2026-29, supported by investments in renewable energy, transport, and oil and gas projects.

    The commercial construction sector is expected to grow by 4.8% in 2026-29, supported by public and private sector investment in the construction of hotels, retail outlets and office buildings.

    READ THE MARCH 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Riyadh urges private sector to take greater role; Chemical players look to spend rationally; Economic uptick lends confidence to Cairo’s reforms.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the March 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16083252/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Qiddiya tenders new infrastructure package

    23 March 2026

     

    Saudi Arabian gigaproject developer Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) has tendered a contract inviting firms to bid for new infrastructure works in Qiddiya Entertainment City.

    The scope covers two infrastructure development packages in District 0 of Qiddiya Entertainment City, including the construction of four event park-and-ride facilities.

    The tender was issued on 11 March, with a bid submission deadline of 22 April.

    Lebanese firm Dar Al-Handasah and Saudi-based Sets International are serving as project consultants.

    QIC is accelerating plans to develop additional assets at Qiddiya City. Earlier this month, the company set a 16 April deadline for firms to submit prequalification statements for the Qiddiya high-speed rail project in Riyadh.

    Previously, MEED reported that QIC had received bids from contractors on 23 February for a SR980m ($261m) contract covering the construction of staff accommodation at Qiddiya Entertainment City.

    The project will cover an area of more than 105,000 square metres (sq m).

    Last month, QIC started the main construction works on its performing arts centre at Qiddiya Entertainment City.

    The Qiddiya City performing arts centre is one of several major projects within the greater Qiddiya development. Other projects include an e-games arena, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium, a motorsports track, the Dragon Ball and Six Flags theme parks, and Aquarabia.

    In December last year, QIC officially opened the Six Flags theme park to the public.

    The theme park covers an area of 320,000 sq m and features 28 rides and attractions, 10 of which are thrill rides and 18 designed for families and young children.

    The Qiddiya project is a key part of Riyadh’s strategy to boost leisure tourism in the kingdom. According to UK analytics firm GlobalData, leisure tourism in Saudi Arabia has experienced significant growth in recent years.

    The kingdom’s tourism sector posted record-breaking numbers last year, with over 130 million domestic and international visitors entering the kingdom, representing a 6% increase over 2024.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16083013/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery attacked

    23 March 2026

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    Several units were shut down at Kuwait’s largest oil refinery after it was hit by drones as Iran targeted energy infrastructure across the Gulf, according to a statement from state-owned Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC).

    Fires broke out across multiple units at the Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery in the morning of 20 March 2026 following the attack.

    The refinery normally processes about 730,000 barrels of oil a day.

    There were no casualties as a result of the attack, according to KPC.

    Kuwait’s oil and gas sector has been severely disrupted by the ongoing regional conflict.

    On 10 March, MEED revealed that the state-owned upstream operator Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) was operating with just 30% of its total workforce in their normal workplaces.

    Earlier in the month, KPC also declared force majeure due to difficulties transporting oil and gas through the Strait of Hormuz caused by the conflict.

    Force majeure, a French term meaning “superior force”, is a clause included in many international commercial contracts. It allows companies to suspend contractual obligations when extraordinary events occur beyond their control.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16067425/main.gif
    Wil Crisp
  • Iraq declares force majeure on foreign-operated oil fields

    23 March 2026

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    Iraq has declared force majeure on all oil fields developed by foreign oil companies as the US and Israel’s war with Iran disrupts navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

    The initial attack and Iran’s response have slashed Iraq’s exports.

    Prior to the war starting on 28 February, Iraq was exporting between 3.3 and 3.5 million barrels a day of crude oil.

    Oil sales account for nearly 90% of Iraq’s government revenues.

    Earlier this month, two drone strikes hit infrastructure at Iraq’s Majnoon oil field, increasing security concerns in the country’s energy sector.

    One of the drones hit a communications tower, and the other hit the office of the US engineering company KBR.

    There were no casualties as a result of the attacks.

    Foreign workers were evacuated from the site days after the US and Israel’s war with Iran started, and only Iraqi staff are currently working at the site.

    Shortly before the war started, KBR announced that it had been awarded a “major contract” by Iraq’s state-owned Basra Oil Company to provide integrated field management services for the Majnoon oil field.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/16067302/main.png
    Wil Crisp