Hafeet Rail (ar|حفيت للقطارات), formerly the Oman-Etihad Rail Company,[1] is a company set up to connect the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman by rail. A joint venture of Etihad Rail, Oman Rail and Mubadala, the railway aims to connect the Etihad Rail network at Abu Dhabi, UAE with the port of Sohar, Oman.[2]
The founding of the joint venture was initially announced in 2022.[3] On April 23, 2024, the company announced it would be rebranding as Hafeet Rail and had secured shareholder agreement to proceed with construction, including the signing of a $1.5 billion contract for designing and constructing the railway.[2] [4]
Preparatory works commenced in May 2024.[5] If implemented, the link would be the first international segment of the long-planned Gulf Railway.
The new railway will extend for 303 km and the cost of the project is estimated at US$3 billion.[6] Trains will travel at a speed of up to 200 km/h and will have a capacity for up to 400 passengers,[7] covering the distance from Abu Dhabi to Sohar in 100 minutes.[6]