Abu Dhabi: Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the UAE’s national railway network, today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Air Cargo, a freight solutions provider specialising in multimodal sea-to-air transportation. The agreement will see National Air Cargo incorporating rail transport into its offerings to meet the needs of its clients the UAE as well as in Gulf markets via Etihad Rail’s connection to the GCC-wide railway network.
Signed by Etihad Rail CEO Dr Nasser Al Mansouri and Jacob Mathew, President— Asia and Board Member of National Air Cargo, the agreement will allow for the diversification of the range of business solutions available to National Air Cargo’s clients, with freight-forwarding capabilities to now include a mix of sea, air and rail transport.
GCC network
National Air Cargo is headquartered in Western New York. Upon completion, the Etihad Rail network, which will cater to both freight and passengers, will span approximately 1,200 kilometres across the Emirates. It will connect urban and peripheral communities, facilitate trade, open up communication channels and foster economic development across all emirates in the UAE. The network will also form a vital part of the GCC railway network, linking the UAE to Saudi Arabia via Ghweifat in the west and Oman via Al Ain in the east.