Etihad Rail adds Fujairah-ICAD direct freight link

Etihad Rail and AD Ports Group have launched a direct freight service linking Fujairah Terminals with the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi, creating a rail-based inland logistics route between the UAE’s East Coast and Abu Dhabi’s main industrial zone.

The service combines scheduled rail freight with a customs-enabled inland cargo gateway at ICAD, allowing containers arriving at Fujairah to move directly to Abu Dhabi for inspection, clearance and release. The partners said the arrangement is intended to shorten handling chains and bring port services closer to manufacturers, distributors and other cargo owners.

Cargo will travel about 200 kilometres by rail from Fujairah Terminals to ICAD, where customs clearance and inspection facilities are available. The dedicated service will operate three times a week, providing a regular alternative to long-haul road transport for importers, exporters and industrial users serving the capital.

A central feature of the arrangement is ICAD’s designation under the United Nations location coding system as AECAD. The code allows shipping lines, freight forwarders and cargo owners to book shipments directly to ICAD as the destination and clearance point rather than treating the industrial area solely as an inland delivery location.

Etihad Rail Freight chief executive Omar Alsebeyi said the service extends the role of the national rail network beyond transport by integrating cargo movement with customs and inland handling. He said customers would be able to simplify logistics processes and reduce the interval between a vessel’s arrival and final delivery.

Saif Al Mazrouei, chief executive of the Ports Cluster at AD Ports Group, said the route links Fujairah Terminals, the national rail network and ICAD within a single logistics system. The structure is designed to give businesses greater flexibility in moving goods between maritime gateways, production centres and end markets.

The project also expands the commercial use of Fujairah Terminals as an entry point for cargo bound for Abu Dhabi. The terminal sits on the Gulf of Oman, outside the Strait of Hormuz, while ICAD hosts manufacturers and logistics companies within Abu Dhabi’s industrial ecosystem.

The new link follows efforts by AD Ports Group and Etihad Rail to build a broader rail-connected logistics network across the UAE. AD Ports Group said in May that it was developing a multimodal inland network of rail-linked dry ports and cargo depots, including ICAD, with Fujairah Terminals and Khalifa Port serving as maritime gateways for industrial cargo.

That programme has involved cooperation with major manufacturers including Emirates Global Aluminium, EMSTEEL Group, Al Ghurair Iron & Steel and Tenaris. The aim is to improve the movement of raw materials, industrial inputs and finished products between ports, factories, inland depots and regional markets.

Etihad Rail and AD Ports Group had already introduced rail freight links involving Fujairah. A shuttle service between Khalifa Port and Fujairah Terminals began in 2024, providing capacity for containerised and other cargo and giving customers an alternative to road transport for larger-volume movements.

The companies have also worked with customs authorities on bonded rail arrangements. A separate initiative announced in 2025 connected Khalifa Port and Fujairah Terminals through coordinated customs procedures, with the objective of reducing clearance times and facilitating cargo transfers between ports and adjacent free zones.

Rail freight has assumed a wider role in the UAE’s contingency logistics arrangements this year as operators adjusted cargo flows during regional disruptions. AD Ports Group said it had increased the use of Fujairah and Khor Fakkan, deployed additional trucking capacity and expanded rail frequencies to maintain supply chains and move goods across the country.

For customers using the new Fujairah-ICAD service, the partners are emphasising predictable schedules, reduced road movements and the ability to scale volumes. Rail can consolidate larger quantities of cargo into fewer journeys, while direct movement to an inland customs point can reduce intermediate handling at the port and on the road.