Dubai Industrial City to host rail freight terminal as a gateway to MENASA
Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the UAE’s National Rail network, and Dubai Industrial City, a manufacturing and logistics hub part of TECOM Group, will host an advanced freight terminal spread across 5.5 million square feet. The rail freight terminal will complement Dubai and the UAE’s advanced infrastructure and state-of-the-art transport network, cementing the nation’s position as a gateway to the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA).
This is in line with the UAE’s Railways Programme that aims to facilitate trade by connecting the country’s industrial and manufacturing centres and opening new trade routes. The terminal at Dubai Industrial City will deliver a major boost to the UAE’s Industrial Strategy, also known as Operation 300bn. Increasing the industrial sector’s contribution to the economy by building advanced logistics infrastructure will strengthen the country’s position as the leading Arab nation on the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report.
His Excellency Eng. Shadi Malak, CEO of Etihad Rail, said: “The terminal will contribute to strengthening the supply chain and freight logistics services, in line with the UAE’s efforts to develop the country’s transport and logistics sector. With a capacity of 5 million tonnes, the terminal will connect the industrial and manufacturing centres in the UAE, open new trade routes, and support the country’s sustainable development. Through our collaboration with Dubai Industrial City, we look forward to providing our local and international customers with logistics and shipping services to support them in achieving their strategic goals and contribute to growing their business.”
The new terminal builds on Dubai Industrial City’s proximity to Jebel Ali Port and Al Maktoum International Airport, which allows hundreds of companies to reach two-thirds of the world’s population in eight hours. It will provide a range of benefits to the 780 business partners in Dubai Industrial City and the surrounding areas, centred around improving efficiencies and reducing costs.
The environmentally friendly terminal will be the newest mode of transport in Dubai and will complete a comprehensive mobility network comprising one of the world’s busiest airports for international travel, the region’s largest port and state-of-the-art infrastructure nationwide.
The development at Dubai Industrial City is part of Etihad Rail’s sustained efforts to generate maximum benefit for the National Railway project. Spread over 550 million square feet, Dubai Industrial City is a major business district for local and regional manufacturing and logistics and is strategically situated adjacent to Jebel Ali Port, Al Maktoum International Airport, and Dubai’s network of high-speed roads.
The new terminal is located within the Etihad Rail’s network which runs from Seih Shuaib to Dubai and Sharjah and forms a critical part of Stage Two of the UAE National Railway. As construction is ongoing in this phase, Etihad Rail continues to pursue strategic partnerships with a range of key entities. Such partnerships align with the company’s wider efforts to ensure this national project plays an important role in the sustainable economic development of the UAE.
