Hafeet Rail to link Sohar with the UAE rail network via Al Buraimi and Al Ain.
Said bin Hamoud Al Maawali, Oman’s Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, told the media on Tuesday that trial runs are expected to commence during the final three months of 2027. UAE rail network via Al Buraimi and Al Ain.
The 238-km railway is being developed by Hafeet Rail, a joint venture involving Oman Rail, Etihad Rail and Mubadala Investment Company. The line will connect Oman’s port city of Sohar to the UAE’s national railway network, passing through Al Buraimi and Al Ain.
Built to transport both passengers and freight, the railway will link key ports, industrial areas and logistics hubs, establishing a new cross-border transport corridor aimed at strengthening trade and connectivity between Oman and the UAE.
Construction is progressing across Sohar, Al Buraimi, Wadi Al Jizzi and Al Ain. In April, Hafeet Rail announced that the project had reached 40 per cent completion. Track-laying work began later, marking a shift from major civil works to the installation of core railway infrastructure.
The route will feature around 2.5 km of tunnels, along with dozens of bridges, viaducts, underpasses and other structures built across mountainous, urban and industrial areas.
Once operational, passenger trains are expected to travel at speeds of up to 200 kph, reducing journey times between Sohar, Al Ain and Abu Dhabi while offering travellers an alternative to road transport between Oman and the UAE.
Freight services will also be a major component of the network. The railway will directly connect Sohar’s port and industrial facilities with the UAE’s national rail system, supporting the smoother movement of goods between key logistics and industrial hubs in both countries.
