Etihad Rail adds Fujairah-Abu Dhabi cargo route

Etihad Rail and AD Ports Group have launched a direct freight rail service between Fujairah Terminals and the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD). The service will run three times a week and allows shipping lines, freight forwarders and cargo owners to book ICAD as the destination and customs clearance point.

The service moves containers around 200km from Fujairah to ICAD, where customs clearance, inspection and cargo release can be completed. ICAD has also been assigned the UN LOCODE “AECAD”, making it a recognised location in international shipping systems.

The new link gives importers, manufacturers, distributors and logistics companies an alternative to long-distance road transport. It also reduces cargo handling by allowing containers to move directly from the port to an inland cargo gateway closer to warehouses and industrial sites.

For the wider logistics sector, the service can help simplify customs procedures, reduce road congestion and improve the movement of high-volume cargo. It also adds another rail option between the UAE’s East Coast maritime gateway and Abu Dhabi’s industrial areas.

Omar Alsebeyi, Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Rail Freight, said, "The launch of our new Fujairah-ICAD rail service represents another important step in unlocking the full potential of the UAE National Rail Network for our customers. Through our partnership with AD Ports Group, we have created an innovative logistics solution that goes beyond transportation by bringing key port services closer to where cargo is ultimately needed. By combining rail connectivity with customs-enabled inland cargo handling and the ability to book cargo directly to ICAD, we are helping customers move goods more efficiently, simplify logistics processes, and reduce the time between vessel arrival and final delivery."