Etihad Rail and AD Ports Group open direct rail link between Fujairah Terminals and ICAD
A new integrated rail freight service will carry containers roughly 200 km from Fujairah Terminals to the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi, with customs-enabled handling and a UN LOCODE for ICAD.
New inland logistics corridor connects east coast port to Abu Dhabi industrial zone
Etihad Rail and AD Ports Group have begun a combined rail and inland-gateway service that delivers containers from Fujairah Terminals to the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD). The initiative extends the reach of Fujairah’s east coast maritime gateway into the capital’s industrial heartland by enabling direct rail transport and customs-enabled processing closer to Abu Dhabi businesses.
The dedicated freight service moves cargo by rail for approximately 200 km from Fujairah to ICAD. ICAD has been assigned its own UN LOCODE, “AECAD”, allowing shipping lines, freight forwarders and cargo owners to book consignments directly to the industrial estate as the destination and clearance point.
At ICAD, containers can undergo inspection, customs clearance and release without returning to the port terminal, reducing handling stages and shortening the time between vessel arrival and final delivery. The rail link is scheduled to operate three times per week and is designed to reduce reliance on long‑haul road transport, ease highway congestion and lower carbon emissions associated with inland freight movement.
Practical benefits for manufacturers and logistics operators
The solution targets importers, exporters, manufacturers, distributors and logistics providers operating across Abu Dhabi. By bringing customs and cargo-handling services to an inland gateway, businesses gain closer proximity to warehouses, production facilities and end markets, while benefiting from predictable timetables and greater scalability for high-volume flows.
Etihad Rail, as developer and operator of the UAE National Rail Network, and AD Ports Group, which operates Fujairah Terminals within its wider ports and logistics ecosystem, say the integrated service strengthens multimodal connectivity across the corridor and enhances resilience for supply chains serving Abu Dhabi and beyond.
Company leaders characterised the launch as a practical step in unlocking the national rail network’s potential for trade, simplifying logistics processes and extending port services inland so cargo can be processed nearer to where it is needed.
The arrangement forms part of AD Ports Group’s end-to-end supply-chain offerings and reinforces Abu Dhabi’s role as a leading hub for industry and trade in the region, with improved links across the Gulf and to markets in the Indian Ocean and East Africa.
Source: WAM