Etihad Rail Freight and AD Ports Group have launched a direct rail freight service connecting Fujairah Terminals with the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD), creating a new cargo route designed to make the movement of goods across the UAE faster and more integrated.
The new service links Fujairah, one of the UAE’s key maritime gateways on the Gulf of Oman, directly with Abu Dhabi’s major industrial hub. The initiative combines dedicated rail transportation with a customs-enabled inland cargo gateway at ICAD, allowing businesses to complete important cargo procedures closer to their operations.
Cargo Can Move Directly From Fujairah to ICAD
Under the new arrangement, cargo arriving at Fujairah Terminals can be transported directly by rail to ICAD instead of requiring additional long-distance road transportation.
Once the cargo reaches ICAD, customers can access customs clearance, inspection and cargo release services closer to warehouses, factories and distribution centres in Abu Dhabi.
The companies said the integrated approach is intended to simplify logistics processes, reduce handling requirements and shorten the time between a vessel's arrival and final delivery.
ICAD Becomes an Inland Cargo Gateway
A key part of the new service is the establishment of ICAD as a recognised inland cargo destination.
The industrial city has been assigned the UN location code AECAD, allowing shipping lines, freight forwarders and cargo owners to book shipments directly to ICAD as a destination and customs clearance point.
This means businesses can bring cargo deeper into Abu Dhabi's industrial network before completing the final stages of the logistics process.
For manufacturers, distributors and logistics companies, that could make supply chains easier to manage and reduce the number of separate transportation steps involved.
Less Reliance on Long-Distance Road Transport
The new rail corridor is also expected to reduce the need for additional trucking between Fujairah and Abu Dhabi.
Rail can move large volumes of cargo in a single operation, while reducing pressure on road networks and potentially lowering emissions compared with moving equivalent cargo over long distances by road.
The companies said the service is designed to support importers, exporters, manufacturers, distributors and logistics providers operating across Abu Dhabi.
Strengthening UAE Trade Connectivity
The project brings together three important parts of the UAE's logistics network: Fujairah's port infrastructure, the national railway and Abu Dhabi's industrial ecosystem.
AD Ports Group said the connection provides businesses with greater flexibility in how they move cargo and strengthens links between maritime gateways and the commercial and industrial areas they serve.
For Etihad Rail, the service represents another step in expanding the commercial use of the UAE National Rail Network beyond individual routes and into integrated supply-chain services.
Etihad Rail Freight CEO Omar Alsebeyi said the partnership is intended to go beyond transportation by bringing port-related services closer to the final destination of cargo.
Fujairah’s Role in Regional Logistics Grows
Fujairah Terminals is part of the wider AD Ports Group network and plays an important role in connecting maritime trade with industrial and logistics infrastructure.
Its location outside the Strait of Hormuz gives it strategic importance for cargo moving through the Gulf of Oman. The new rail connection could strengthen its role as an entry point for goods destined for Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE market.
The service also reflects the UAE's broader push to develop an integrated logistics system connecting ports, railways, industrial zones and customs facilities.
Supporting Abu Dhabi’s Industrial Sector
ICAD is one of Abu Dhabi's major industrial centres, hosting manufacturers and businesses across a range of sectors.
By bringing cargo directly into the industrial city by rail, the new service is intended to position logistics infrastructure closer to the companies that ultimately use imported raw materials, components and finished goods.
The move could therefore help businesses reduce unnecessary cargo handling while improving the connection between international shipping and inland distribution.
Another Milestone for Etihad Rail
The new freight service follows the continued expansion of Etihad Rail's commercial operations across the UAE.
The national rail network has already been used to transport different types of cargo, including commercial vehicles. In April, Etihad Rail carried Nissan vehicles from Fujairah to Abu Dhabi in the UAE's first commercial rail transportation of cars.
The latest Fujairah-ICAD connection takes that development further by linking port operations directly with an inland industrial and customs gateway.
UAE Positions Rail at the Centre of Trade Growth
The launch comes as the UAE continues investing in infrastructure aimed at strengthening its position as a regional and global logistics hub.
For businesses, the value of the new service will depend on how effectively it can reduce transportation time, simplify customs procedures and provide reliable connections between ports and industrial destinations.
For now, the Fujairah-Abu Dhabi cargo corridor adds another important link to the country's growing multimodal transport network.
As Etihad Rail Freight and AD Ports Group expand their partnership, the new service demonstrates how the UAE is increasingly using rail not simply as a means of transport, but as a core part of a more connected port-to-industry supply chain.
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