Abu Dhabi Ports Company yesterday signed an initial agreement with Etihad Rail to provide a terminal facility at Khalifa Port for bulk containers as part of the national railway network.
ADPC intends to link its facilities which includes the Khalifa Industrial Zone in Abu Dhabi (Kizad) with the adjacent Khalifa Port and provide logistics companies another means of transportation besides road and sea.
The 1,200-kilometre Etihad Rail network will be part of a wider GCC railway network connecting the UAE with Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
“Etihad’s railway terminal connection at ADPC will play an essential role in the overall connectivity of the railway with key centres of economic importance to the UAE and the region, enabling a stronger and more efficient supply chain,” said Nasser Al Mansoori, the chief executive of Etihad Rail.
“Etihad Rail’s connectivity to Khalifa Port and Kizad will also enable our customer to realise further growth and expand their reach in the UAE and GCC,” he said.
The railway network is being developed in three stages. The first stage of 264km from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi will be fully operational by the end of this year. The 628km second stage will extend the network to Dubai, to Saudi Arabia through Ghweifat and to Oman through Al Ain. The final stage will add a further 279km of rail to connect the Northern Emirates, including Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah.
“Khalifa Port will be among the first in the region with a fully integrated bulk and container logistics solutions with railway services extending to the GCC,” said Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, the chief executive of ADPC.
Container traffic increased by 14.6 per cent last year at Abu Dhabi’s Khalifa and Zayed ports compared with 2012, as ADPC expanded capacity to meet population growth and rising consumer demand.
thamid@thenational.ae
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
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Director: Shady Ali
Cast: Boumi Fouad , Mohamed Tharout and Hisham Ismael
Rating: 3/5
if you go
The flights
Flydubai flies to Podgorica or nearby Tivat via Sarajevo from Dh2,155 return including taxes. Turkish Airlines flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Podgorica via Istanbul; alternatively, fly with Flydubai from Dubai to Belgrade and take a short flight with Montenegro Air to Podgorica. Etihad flies from Abu Dhabi to Podgorica via Belgrade. Flights cost from about Dh3,000 return including taxes. There are buses from Podgorica to Plav.
The tour
While you can apply for a permit for the route yourself, it’s best to travel with an agency that will arrange it for you. These include Zbulo in Albania (www.zbulo.org) or Zalaz in Montenegro (www.zalaz.me).
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
