The UAE Prime Minister announced the need for a special bill to resume the construction of the railway network in the UAE.
At the end of the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Sheikh Mohammed Ibn Rashid, UAE Vice President and ruler of Dubai, announced the discussion of a new bill aimed at covering the costs of construction, operation and safety of railways.
“Changes in legislation will help increase population mobility,” Sheikh Mohammed said on his Twitter account.
In her other tweets, Sheikh Mohammed said that the new strategy, adopted in accordance with the norms of the United Nations, will be devoted to innovations in the field of healthcare, skills of the future, environmental protection, development of water and space technologies.
Etihad Rail is currently engaged in freight services, mainly offering services for transporting sulfur from the Shah and Habshan oil fields to the port of Ruwais.
Recall that the message was opened in 2013. It was planned that it will become part of a larger network that will cover the whole country and, ultimately, will connect the UAE with Saudi Arabia and other members of the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council.
Two years ago, Etihad Rail announced the suspension of the construction of the next section of the railway, a 628-kilometer freight line to Dubai and Al Ain, and the expansion of communications from Ruways to the border city of Guyfat.
The final section was to be a 279-km-long section laid to the northern emirates, including Ras al-Khaimah and Al-Fujairah. Although the section was originally intended for cargo transportation, in the future passenger trains could be launched along it.
In January 2016, Etihad Rail announced the suspension of the tender for the second phase, in order to "assess strategic priorities." The company also announced job cuts as part of streamlining business processes.
However, there is every reason to believe that the project can be resumed in the near future. In November, Meed magazine reported that Etihad Rail had repeated talks with interested parties to make minor changes to the rail network design, as originally planned.
