UAE tenders Abu Dhabi to Dubai high-speed rail
16 January 2025
Register for MEED's 14-day trial access
The UAE’s Etihad Rail has tendered a contract to design and build the civil works and station packages for the railway line connecting Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
The tender notice was issued on 10 January with a bid submission deadline of 7 May.
Contractors are also forming joint ventures to bid for upcoming design-and-build works packages for the high-speed railway (HSR) project.
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.
Register for MEED's guest program now to access this article.
Exclusive from Meed
-
Egypt contractor secures €58m loan for Hungary power plant6 February 2026
-
AD Ports signs Jordan Aqaba port PPP deal6 February 2026
-
Chinese firm wins Ceer automotive supplier park deal6 February 2026
-
Dubai Municipality tenders water pipeline projects5 February 2026
-
Abu Dhabi sets February deadline for road tender5 February 2026
All of this is only 1% of what MEED.com has to offer
Subscribe now and unlock all the 153,671 articles on MEED.com
- All the latest news, data, and market intelligence across MENA at your fingerprints
- First-hand updates and inside information on projects, clients and competitors that matter to you
- 20 years' archive of information, data, and news for you to access at your convenience
- Strategize to succeed and minimise risks with timely analysis of current and future market trends
Related Articles
-
Egypt contractor secures €58m loan for Hungary power plant
6 February 2026
Commercial International Bank Egypt (CIB) has provided €58m in credit facilities to local firm Elsewedy Electric for the construction of a combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plant in Hungary.
Located in Visonta, the plant will be the largest combined-cycle facility built in Hungary in decades and the country’s first power plant capable of using hydrogen.
Once complete, hydrogen will be able to supply up to 30% of the plant’s fuel needs.
The project is being developed through a consortium comprising Energy Projects, a subsidiary of Elsewedy Electric, and local firms Status KPRIA and West Hungaria Bau (WHB).
It was awarded by MVM Matra Energia, a subsidiary of Hungary’s state-owned power holding company Magya Villamos Muvek (MVM).
As MEED understands, the plant is expected to have a power generation capacity of between 500MW and 650MW.
Total investment in the scheme is estimated at about €700m, with CIB acting as the sole financier for Elsewedy Electric’s portion of the project.
Construction officially began last September, with commercial operations scheduled for 2028.
The scheme also represents Elsewedy Electric’s first major investment in Europe, adding to other foreign investment interests.
Last May, it was reported that Elsewedy Electric intends to build a $100m electrical cable manufacturing plant in Iraq. This project has yet to advance beyond the initial stages.
In 2024, the contractor connected three additional hydro turbine generators to Tanzania’s national power grid in partnership with The Arab Contractors.
This brought the total power supply from the Julius Nyerere hydroelectric power project to 705MW.
READ THE FEBRUARY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFSpending on oil and gas production surges; Doha’s efforts support extraordinary growth in 2026; Water sector regains momentum in 2025.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the February 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Mena upstream spending set to soar> INDUSTRY REPORT: MEED's GCC water developer ranking> INDUSTRY REPORT: Pipeline boom lifts Mena water awards> MARKET FOCUS: Qatar’s strategy falls into place> CURRENT AFFAIRS: Iran protests elevate regional uncertainty> CONTRACT AWARDS: Contract awards decline in 2025> LEADERSHIP: Tomorrow’s communities must heal us, not just house us> INTERVIEW: AtkinsRealis on building faster> LEADERSHIP: Energy security starts with rethinking wasteTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15593289/main.jpg -
AD Ports signs Jordan Aqaba port PPP deal
6 February 2026
Abu Dhabi’s AD Ports Group has signed an agreement with Jordan’s Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC) to manage and operate the Aqaba multipurpose port.
AD Ports will manage and operate the port under a 30-year concession agreement.
Under the agreement, AD Ports and ADC will establish a joint venture to oversee port operations.
AD Ports will hold a 70% stake in the joint venture, with the remaining 30% held by ADC.
AD Ports Group will also invest AED141m ($38.4m) in the joint venture.
The signing ceremony was held at the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority headquarters in Aqaba on 5 February.
The agreement was signed by Hussein Safadi, CEO of ADC, and Ahmed Al-Mutawa, regional CEO of AD Ports Group.
Aqaba port handles about 80% of Jordan’s exports and 65% of its imports.
It serves as a key transit point for Jordan’s neighbouring countries, including Saudi Arabia and Iraq. The port has an annual handling capacity of 11 million tonnes, supported by nine berths, a quay length of 2 kilometres and a draft of 13.5 metres.
In 2025, the terminal handled over 5.3 million tonnes of cargo and nearly 85,000 car equivalent units of Ro-Ro imports.
Abu Dhabi has been deeply involved in making investments in Jordan’s infrastructure sector. In February last year, AD Ports Group signed an agreement to manage and operate the Al-Madouneh customs centre in Amman, as MEED reported.
The Al-Madouneh customs centre covers about 1.3 million square metres (sq m) and was inaugurated in June last year.
The announcement followed AD Ports Group’s signing of a shareholders’ agreement in January 2024 between its digital arm, Maqta Gateway, and Jordan’s Aqaba Development Corporation regarding their existing joint-venture company, Maqta Ayla.
The joint venture company will upgrade operations at the Aqaba port complex in Jordan by implementing a port community system “that leverages Maqta Gateway’s expertise, also marking the first-ever export of Abu Dhabi’s key port digitalisation solution”, AD Ports said in a statement.
AD Ports Group operates the Aqaba cruise terminal, and selected Dubai-based real estate developer Mag Group to lead the first phase of the Marsa Zayed mixed-use project.
READ THE FEBRUARY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFSpending on oil and gas production surges; Doha’s efforts support extraordinary growth in 2026; Water sector regains momentum in 2025.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the February 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Mena upstream spending set to soar> INDUSTRY REPORT: MEED's GCC water developer ranking> INDUSTRY REPORT: Pipeline boom lifts Mena water awards> MARKET FOCUS: Qatar’s strategy falls into place> CURRENT AFFAIRS: Iran protests elevate regional uncertainty> CONTRACT AWARDS: Contract awards decline in 2025> LEADERSHIP: Tomorrow’s communities must heal us, not just house us> INTERVIEW: AtkinsRealis on building faster> LEADERSHIP: Energy security starts with rethinking wasteTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15592973/main.jpg -
Chinese firm wins Ceer automotive supplier park deal
6 February 2026
Beijing-headquartered Metallurgical Construction Corporation (MCC) has won a contract to undertake the steel structure works on the Ceer automotive supplier park in King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC).
The supplier park is located next to Ceer’s electric vehicle (EV) production facility in KAEC.
The automotive supplier park will include production and ancillary facilities for various suppliers and provide the material supply infrastructure for Ceer’s EV plant.
The facilities include:
- Cold stamping, body-in-white assembly and stamping facility – Shin Young (South Korea)
- Hot stamping, sub-frames and axles subsystem supply facility – Benteler Group (Austria)
- Façade and exterior-trim supply facility – JVIS (US)
- Instrument panel, trims and console supply facility – Forvia (France)
- Seat supplier – Lear Corporation (US)
Earlier this week, MEED exclusively reported that Ceer had awarded a contract to build the automotive supplier park to Jeddah-based construction firm Modern Building Leaders (MBL).
Netherlands-based engineering firm Arcadis is the project consultant, and Pac Project Advisors is the project management consultant.
Ceer retendered the project in September last year.
The latest contract award is another significant contract win for MCC in Saudi Arabia. In January, MEED reported that MCC had won a contract to undertake the steel structure works on Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium at the Qiddiya City project on the outskirts of Riyadh.
The 45,000-seat stadium will feature a fully combined retractable pitch, roof and LED wall.
The stadium’s main construction works are being undertaken by a joint venture of Spanish firm FCC Construction and local firm Nesma & Partners.
In January, MCC won another contract to undertake steel structure works for the expansion of Medina airport in Saudi Arabia.
The scope covers work on boarding bridges, Terminal Two and the renovation of Terminal One.
READ THE FEBRUARY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFSpending on oil and gas production surges; Doha’s efforts support extraordinary growth in 2026; Water sector regains momentum in 2025.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the February 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Mena upstream spending set to soar> INDUSTRY REPORT: MEED's GCC water developer ranking> INDUSTRY REPORT: Pipeline boom lifts Mena water awards> MARKET FOCUS: Qatar’s strategy falls into place> CURRENT AFFAIRS: Iran protests elevate regional uncertainty> CONTRACT AWARDS: Contract awards decline in 2025> LEADERSHIP: Tomorrow’s communities must heal us, not just house us> INTERVIEW: AtkinsRealis on building faster> LEADERSHIP: Energy security starts with rethinking wasteTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15592955/main.gif -
Dubai Municipality tenders water pipeline projects
5 February 2026
Dubai Municipality has opened bidding for four separate engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts to expand and rehabilitate the emirate’s recycled water and sewerage networks.
MEED understands that the largest project is the upgrade of old recycled water pipes – phase 1 (RW108-C1) project.
The contract involves replacing approximately 45 kilometres of asbestos cement pipelines along Jumeirah Beach Road, Sheikh Zayed Road and in Deira.
The package requires a tender bond of AED1m and the bid submission deadline is 26 February.
The remaining tenders include:
Package two: Network for Dubai-Al Ain Road, Bukhedra-Sheikh Zayed (IN103-C1 RW), covering the construction of approximately 33 kilometres of new recycled water pipelines, including lines serving Al-Nakheel communities, connections from the Warsan sewage treatment plant, and works near several major interchanges.
Package three: Main recycled water network for Sheikh Zayed Road Interchange 7 to 4 (IN107-C1), involving upgrades about 18.2 kilometres in length of existing mains along Sheikh Zayed Road.
Package four: Execution of remaining works for the Jebel Ali industrial sewerage and drainage system (DS188-C2), focusing on completion, rehabilitation and rectification of earlier works to meet municipal standards.
A request for proposals (RFP) has been issued for all four contracts. The bid submission deadline for contracts two, three and four is 19 February.
It is understood that the recycled water packages (one, two and three) require microtunnelling and horizontal directional drilling, construction of launch and reception shafts, dewatering and protection of existing services.
Contractors will also be responsible for traffic diversions, reinstatement works and testing of completed networks.
Dubai Municipality said bidders are required to submit qualification, technical and commercial proposals for all four contracts.
Packages two, three and four require tender bonds of AED800,000, AED500,000 and AED50,000, respectively.
READ THE FEBRUARY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFSpending on oil and gas production surges; Doha’s efforts support extraordinary growth in 2026; Water sector regains momentum in 2025.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the February 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Mena upstream spending set to soar> INDUSTRY REPORT: MEED's GCC water developer ranking> INDUSTRY REPORT: Pipeline boom lifts Mena water awards> MARKET FOCUS: Qatar’s strategy falls into place> CURRENT AFFAIRS: Iran protests elevate regional uncertainty> CONTRACT AWARDS: Contract awards decline in 2025> LEADERSHIP: Tomorrow’s communities must heal us, not just house us> INTERVIEW: AtkinsRealis on building faster> LEADERSHIP: Energy security starts with rethinking wasteTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15585433/main.jpg -
Abu Dhabi sets February deadline for road tender
5 February 2026
Abu Dhabi’s Department of Municipalities & Transport (DMT) has set a deadline of 9 February for a design-and-build contract for the construction of two bridges serving Hudayriyat Island in Abu Dhabi.
The scope of work covers the construction of a two-lane bridge connecting 32nd Street to Shakhbout Bin Sultan Street, and a single-lane bridge on 8th Street.
The scope also covers the upgrade of signalised intersections.
The previous deadline was 26 January.
Shakhbout Bin Sultan Street is a two-way road with three lanes in each direction, providing access to and from Hudayriyat Island.
DMT issued the project tender in November last year.
The Hudayriyat Island masterplan was unveiled in 2023. The integrated development comprises residential communities and other leisure and mixed-use facilities.
The masterplan features 53.5 kilometres (km) of coastline, including 16km of beaches.
Some of the major destinations on Hudayriyat Island include the Velodrome Abu Dhabi, Surf Abu Dhabi, a wide range of sports, commerce and leisure amenities, the largest park in Abu Dhabi and a 220km-long network of cycle tracks.
Project developments
In December, MEED exclusively reported that UK-headquartered firm Innovo Group had won a AED5bn ($1.3bn) contract to build two residential developments, Nawayef East and Nawayef West, on Hudayriyat Island.
In November 2023, Modon appointed local contractor Trojan General Contracting as the main contractor for the sports hotel, as MEED reported.
Modon also awarded the local National Marine Dredging Company an $803m enabling works contract in April 2023.
Abu Dhabi-based Hilalco completed the construction of mountain bike trails on the island earlier in 2023.
In November 2022, Chinese contractor China Harbour Engineering Company was awarded the main contract for dredging and reclamation works at Hudayriyat Island.
In 2019, Modon appointed the local Wade Adams to undertake the initial landscaping and infrastructure works on the island.
READ THE FEBRUARY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFSpending on oil and gas production surges; Doha’s efforts support extraordinary growth in 2026; Water sector regains momentum in 2025.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the February 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Mena upstream spending set to soar> INDUSTRY REPORT: MEED's GCC water developer ranking> INDUSTRY REPORT: Pipeline boom lifts Mena water awards> MARKET FOCUS: Qatar’s strategy falls into place> CURRENT AFFAIRS: Iran protests elevate regional uncertainty> CONTRACT AWARDS: Contract awards decline in 2025> LEADERSHIP: Tomorrow’s communities must heal us, not just house us> INTERVIEW: AtkinsRealis on building faster> LEADERSHIP: Energy security starts with rethinking wasteTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/15584654/main.png