Etihad Rail signs MoU with Al Dahra

Etihad Rail – the master developer and operator of the UAE’s national railway network – continues to grow its customer base, announcing today that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Al Dahra Agricultural Company. The leading company supporting agriculture and animal production headquartered in the UAE, will use rail as a more efficient means of transporting hay – the most commonly-used animal feed in the country – and is ready to switch to rail as soon as Etihad Rail’s second stage (connecting all principle traffic centres in Abu Dhabi and the Port of Jebel Ali) is operational.  The signing sees Al Dahra become Etihad Rail’s first customer in the containerised sector – a steadily growing market in the UAE and wider region with an expected traffic of 15 million TEU at Khalifa Port alone by 2030.

Al Dahra is a leading supporter of the stable supply of hay for the local market.  Through its partnership with Etihad Rail, the company will not only use the railway as the main method of transport for their chief animal feed, but will also benefit from the network’s distribution centres to help maximise and expand their offerings to their customers.  

Commenting on the MoU signing, H.E. Khadim Al Darei, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Al Dahra Agriculture Company added: “Since our inception in 1995, we have been committed to cultivating and delivering to our clients only the finest selection of feed and forage.  Our partnership with Etihad Rail gives us access to utilise a modern and integrated transportation system that ultimately can give us a competitive advantage and help us enhance our business. Plans are already underway in preparation for us to use rail as our preferred transport method as soon as the second stage of Etihad Rail’s network is operational.”

Further speaking on the importance of this new partnership, Richard Bowker CBE, CEO of Etihad Rail states: “At Etihad Rail, we aim to offer customised solutions to the country’s businesses and as such we are delighted to have the opportunity to provide Al Dahra – one of the most prominent agricultural companies in the UAE – with a safe, efficient and environmentally-friendly way of transporting their animal feed. This agreement will bring positive impacts to their clients and consumers, and in turn, therefore, direct benefits to local communities. ”

This latest signing by Etihad Rail follows signings earlier in the year with other national companies such as Emirates Steel, Arkan, Etisalat and du, who are also looking to use the railway and the country-wide network as a solution to their diverse business requirements and transportation needs. Emirates Steel and Arkan aim to transport their raw and finished materials via the railway while du and Etisalat will benefit from having access to the network’s infrastructure as a means of expanding their services and customer base.