UAE steel maker signs rail transport deal with Oman

Oman News Agency

Oman and Etihad Rail Company, the developer and operator of the Oman and UAE rail network, has signed an agreement with UAE-based Emirates Steel Arkan to boost cross-border supply chains by facilitating the export of raw limestone.

The rail company will provide logistics solutions to manage the transportation of raw limestone from Oman to Emirates Steel Arkan’s cement factories in Al Ain, state-run Oman News Agency reported.

The deal will allow annual transportation of four to six million tonnes of high-quality raw materials to Al Ain, enabling the UAE company to produce and export two to three million tonnes of finished goods to regional markets each year.

• Oman’s luxury hotels report 26% rise in revenues to $360m
• Oman’s total foreign assets rise 27% to $18bn
• Oman’s $3.4bn green steel plant to be ready by 2026

“Our collaboration with Oman and Etihad Rail Company enhances our supply chain capabilities by leveraging the railway network that connects both countries,” stated Said Khalfan Al Ghafri, CEO of Emirates Steel, part of Emirates Steel Arkan

“The transportation of raw materials to and from our cement plant in Al Ain will boost our operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness, as well as reduce environmental impact,” he added.

The collaboration will drive the revenues of the mining industry and increase investments in Omani quarries, the report said.

By connecting ports and manufacturing hubs, the Oman-UAE railway network will provide quarrying companies in Oman with direct shipping solutions to export their products to regional markets.

Emirates Steel Arkan is majority owned by Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund ADQ.