Union Railway is preparing to tender the next round of contracts for its 1,500km, Dh40 billion (US$10.89bn) national rail project, its chief executive says.
The state-backed company will invite bids for engineering work and project management. Previously tendered work packages involved topographical and geotechnical surveys and environmental impact assessments.
Much of the existing work has focused on the project’s first phase, a 265km line linking the Shah natural gas field in the desert south-west of Abu Dhabi city with oil and gas treatment facilities at Habshan and with the port at Ruwais.
“Tenders are now being prepared for preliminary engineering for the rest of the network and for project management,” said Richard Bowker, the rail company’s chief executive, at today’s opening of the MENA Rail Projects conference hosted by MEED. “We hope to announce those in the relatively near future.”
More than 350 companies have communicated their interest in the project, Mr Bowker said.
Other work scheduled to begin soon includes a pilot study in Al Gharbia region into the effects of sand blown on to rail lines.
“We are no longer talking about a concept of building Union Railway in the UAE, we are actually getting on with it,” Mr Bowker said.
igale@thenational.ae
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
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances