ADPC signs Memorandum of Understanding with Etihad Rail

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1 23 February 2013 ADPC signs Memorandum of Understanding with Etihad Rail ADPC and Etihad Rail to plan first UAE integrated bulk and container railway terminal facility at Khalifa Port Abu Dhabi, UAE: Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC), the master developer of ports and industrial zones, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Etihad Rail providing the framework to plan an integrated bulk and container railway terminal facility at Khalifa Port as part of the UAE s national railway network. The MoU was signed yesterday by HE Dr. Nasser Al Mansoori, CEO of Etihad Rail, and Capt. Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, CEO of ADPC, at Khalifa Port s visitor center. The agreement is a significant step for the UAE s rapidly-progressing rail network and the country s growing ports and industrial sector. The 1,200-kilometer Etihad Rail network will complement ADPC s worldclass transportation and industrial infrastructure linking ADPC facilities, including Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (Kizad) and the adjacent Khalifa Port. When integrated with ADPC s infrastructure, the railway network will offer logistics companies an enhanced transportation system combining sea, road and rail.

2 The Etihad Rail network will also form a vital part of a wider GCC railway network, connecting the UAE with Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Commenting on the signing of the MoU, Dr. Nasser Al Mansoori said: Etihad Rail 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. Etihad Rail s connectivity to Khalifa Port and Kizad will also enable our customers to realize further growth and expand their reach in the UAE and GCC. Al Shamisi added: As the activity of the emirates ports and industrial zone increases, a sophisticated transportation network throughout Abu Dhabi, the UAE and the Arabian Peninsula becomes of the utmost importance. Our new flagship 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, offering our customers, shippers and investors in Kizad unrivalled supply chain efficiencies. We are delighted to sign this MoU with Etihad Rail. Our partnership is an important development and a significant step in our progress towards achieving the goals of the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision The state-of-the-art Etihad Rail network is being developed in three stages. Construction on Stage One, which will extend 264 kilometres from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi, is well underway. Testing and commissioning on the Habshan-Ruwais route commenced last year. In addition to connecting to key ADPC hubs and spanning 628 kilometres, Stage Two will extend the network to Dubai, to Saudi Arabia through Ghweifat and to Oman through Al Ain.

3 Stage Three will add another 279 kilometers of rail and connect to the Northern Emirates, including Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah. About ADPC -ENDS- As a master developer and regulator of ports and industrial zones in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, ADPC's core objective is to facilitate the diversification of the economy by stimulating development and trade, following Abu Dhabi s Economic Vision ADPC manages eleven commercial, logistics, community and leisure ports, including its flagship state-of-the-art, deep-water Khalifa Port. ADPC supports partners infrastructure projects and sets up new companies and joint ventures in the ports and industrial zones sectors. ADPC is also developing Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (Kizad). Located adjacent to Khalifa Port, Kizad serves a range of logistics and manufacturing investors, and is destined to grow into one of the world s largest industrial zones. The company s AED 26.5 billion (USD 7.2 billion) flagship Khalifa Port and Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (Kizad) has been designed to be flexible to reflect market needs. Kizad was launched to market in 2010, and the whole of Khalifa Port was inaugurated on 12/12/12 by UAE President HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The port s semiautomated container terminal was launched on 1 September, Khalifa Port is now handling all of Abu Dhabi s TEU container traffic, after its transfer from Zayed Port, the historic port in the city centre. Phase One of Khalifa Port has a capacity of 2.5 million TEUs, plus 12 million tons of general cargo. Further phases of development will occur as market demand requires. With all phases complete, Khalifa Port will be able to handle 15 million TEUs and 35 million tons of general cargo per year. Follow us on For more information, please contact: Akram Kanso International Media Relations Consultant Corporate Communication

4 PO Box Abu Dhabi, UAE Telephone +971 (0) Mobile +971 (0) Facsimile +971 (0) About Etihad Rail Etihad Rail was established in June 2009 under Federal Law no. 2, with a mandate to manage the development, construction and operation of the UAE s national freight and passenger railway network. Being built in three stages, the railway network will link the principal centres of population and industry of the UAE, and will form a vital part of the planned GCC railway network across the six countries of the GCC. Construction on Stage One is well underway, with services between Habshan and Ruwais already operational on a testing basis since September 2013, and the sleeper factory in Mirfa fully functional. Tendering is in progress for Stage Two, which will connect the railway to Mussafah, Khalifa and Jebel Ali ports and will see the railway extend to the Saudi and Omani borders. To date, Etihad Rail has signed more than 20 Memorandums of Understanding with a number of customers throughout the Emirates in industries ranging from petrochemicals and agriculture to aggregates and waste all of whom recognise rail as the preferred mode of transport for their goods. Built to international standards, Etihad Rail s state-of-the-art network will span approximately 1,200 km, acting as a catalyst for economic growth and sustained social development. Upon completion, the railway will redefine logistics and transport in the region, providing a modern, safe, efficient and sustainable mode of transport that will connect all regions of the UAE to its neighbouring GCC countries. For more information, please visit the Etihad Rail website at: Or, please contact: Haneen Aweidah, Hill+Knowlton Strategies Tel: Haneen.aweidah@hkstrategies.com

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