Hafeet Rail to contribute to carbon neutrality goals

MUSCAT, NOV 26

French-based multinational engineering firm Systra says its recent success in snagging a key project management contract linked to the Oman-UAE Hafeet Rail project has buoyed its hopes of making further inroads into the burgeoning rail construction market in the region.

In October, Hafeet Rail – the joint venture developer and operator of the 303km rail network connecting Sohar Port with Abu Dhabi in the UAE – was awarded the Project Management & Engineer Consultancy (PMEC) contract, entailing the management and supervision of the $3 billion project.

In a statement issued here this week, Systra said the rail project would not only enhance connectivity between the two countries, but also contribute to their Net Zero objectives.

“This rail network between the UAE and Oman will improve interconnectivity between sea and land ports, production sites and key markets, and will support both countries’ efforts towards sustainability and carbon neutrality.

The Hafeet Rail link will connect to the Etihad Rail network, which serves all seven of the United Arab Emirates. The network will accommodate passenger trains and, above all, freight traffic,” the French state-backed consultancy giant stated.

Systra’s broad remit includes contract management, overseeing the performance of contractors and suppliers to ensure full compliance with all requirements and standards, and providing essential technical support for managing health, environmental, safety, and security standards. Additionally, Systra will manage and monitor the project schedule, review engineering designs, and supervise project execution, testing and commissioning up to the start of operations.

Importantly, the PMEC contract positions Systra strongly for new business opportunities in the region’s expanding rail and metro-based transportation sector.

“This contract massively increases our footprint in Oman, hopefully opening the door for many more projects there,” commented Esmaeil Ghahremani, Oman Vice President, Systra DB&I.

Besides ongoing projects in the UAE, Systra says it is also contributing to rail programmes currently underway in the Middle East, notably the North-South line and Riyadh metro projects in Saudi Arabia, as well as the new high-speed network in Egypt.

Oman’s nascent rail sector is of growing importance to international players as well. In their sights is the proposed Muscat Metro project, a first-ever project that will run 55 kilometres from Sultan Haitham City to the downtown part of the capital. Total investment in the project is estimated at $2.5 billion.

Also prospective is a potential revival of the now dormant Oman National Railway Project as an integral part of the GCC Railway Network. Initially envisioned to link all of Oman’s major seaports with the regional network, this project still remains pivotal to enabling Oman to achieve its strategic logistics goals.