Etihad Rail, the developer of UAE’s national rail network, has signed an agreement with Al Safa Transport, a transportation services provider, for efficient movement of cargo using the UAE’s vast railway network.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by chief executive officer of Etihad Rail, Faris Saif Al Mazrouei and managing director of Al Safa Transport, Nabeel Chaudhry.

Encompassing rail and trucking modes of transportation into an integrated system will further the capabilities of the UAE’s transport industry, a statement said.

Al Mazrouei said: “We are delighted to sign this MoU with Al Safa Transport, a reputable trucking services company with a track record for safe and efficient movement of freight across the UAE.”

“More importantly, this agreement highlights the fact that rail and trucking services are not necessarily competing services. Rather, they should be viewed as complementary services that offer the end-users choice depending on their business needs,” he added.

Formed in 1976 and headquartered in Dubai as part of the Al Safa Group, Al Safa Transport has a long-standing presence in the UAE and the wider Menap region as one of the leading trucking and transportation service providers.

“We are very pleased being the first local trucking company in UAE to be signing this MoU with Etihad rail, and we understand there is a great potential in the future for partnering trucking services along with the cargo rail networks services throughout the GCC, helping in environmental savings and cost savings for the cargo owners,” said Chaudhry.

The 1,200-km-long Etihad Rail project is being delivered in three key stages, with Stage 1 operations running since December 2015 and having transported more than 10 million tonnes of granulated sulphur as at April 2017 from sources in Shah and Habshan to the export point of Ruwais.

Designed to provide both freight and passenger services, the network will connect urban and peripheral communities, foster trade and economic development across all Emirates and principle areas of trade within the UAE. The Etihad Rail network will also form a vital part of the planned GCC Railway Network which will connect the region’s six GCC countries, linking the UAE to Saudi Arabia Ghweifat in the West and Oman through Al Ain, UAE in the East. – TradeArabia News Service