Oman-UAE rail link to begin trial operations in late 2027

Trial operations on the inaugural railway connecting Oman and the UAE are anticipated to commence in the final quarter of 2027, according to Oman’s Transport Minister. This milestone represents a significant stride towards establishing cross-border passenger and freight rail services between the two Gulf nations. Speaking to media on Tuesday, Said bin Hamoud Al Maawali, Oman’s Transport Minister, Communications and Information Technology, revealed that the experimental operations would commence during the last three months of 2027.

The 238 km railway, under development by Hafeet Rail, a consortium comprising Oman Rail, Etihad Rail and Mubadala Investment Company, will link the Omani port city of Sohar with the UAE’s national rail network via Al Buraimi and Al Ain. Designed to transport both passengers and freight, the network will interconnect ports, industrial zones and logistics hubs, fostering a new transportation corridor to bolster trade and mobility between Oman and the UAE.

Construction progress has been steady, with work underway in Sohar, Al Buraimi, Wadi Al Jizzi and Al Ain. In April, Hafeet Rail disclosed that the project had reached 40% completion, transitioning from major civil construction to railway infrastructure installation. The route spans approximately 2.5 km of tunnels, alongside numerous bridges, viaducts, underpasses and other structures, navigating through mountainous, urban and industrial landscapes.

Passenger trains are engineered to attain speeds of up to 200 kph post-service commencement, thereby diminishing travel times between Sohar, Al Ain and Abu Dhabi and offering an alternative to road transport between the two countries. Freight operations are projected to play a pivotal role, directly linking Sohar’s port and industrial facilities with the UAE railway system, thereby facilitating the transfer of goods between logistics and industrial centers in both nations.