Abu Dhabi: President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has appointed Hussain Jasem Al Nowais as chairman of Etihad (Union) Railways Company, which is charged with building, operating and maintaining a rail network across the country.
It is estimated that the network will be 1,100 kilometres long, cost between Dh25 billion and Dh30 billion and be built over five to seven years. The new details of the rail project is further evidence that the UAE is continuing to defy the international financial crisis and is investing in vital infrastructure projects that will lay the basis for its future economic growth.
Transport infrastructure is especially important as it facilitates the cheap and effective transport of goods, reduces the cost of doing business and encourages trade within the UAE and across the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
According to Al Nowais, the national railway will emphasise the transport of freight and linking the UAE with the other Gulf countries. However, it will also provide passenger services, bringing families and businesses closer together and providing a valuable service to residents.
The chairman and the board members who have been appointed to oversee this project have been entrusted with a massive task that is essential to the future of the UAE.
