Etihad Rail signs agreement with SNTTA Cargo

Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the UAE’s national railway network, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SNTTA Cargo, the logistics division of Liberty Investment Co (LIC), the holding company of the Liberty Group.

The agreement with SNTTA Cargo, a leading freight and logistics services provider for several prestigious international airlines, will allow the company to take advantage of the benefits of rail transport for local and international customers.

The MoU between the two parties was signed by Shaikh Khalid Abdul Aziz Al Qasimi, Chairman of LIC and Dr Nasser Saif Al Mansoori, CEO of Etihad Rail, at LIC’s corporate offices in Abu Dhabi.

The agreement symbolises the benefit of integrating rail into the transport infrastructure, giving importers and exporters better control over costs and stronger competitive edge. In addition to moving goods in containers, SNTTA and Liberty are exploring the possibility of deploying the rail as a transportation mode for moving cars, SUV’s and light trucks.

Commenting on the MoU, Dr Al Mansoori said: “Diverse infrastructure is essential to economic development, and the strongest economies across the globe have long since integrated rail into existing infrastructure. Such a strategy not only contributes to the business growth of logistics providers and their customers, but also to economic development as a result. Etihad Rail’s MoU with SNTTA Cargo, considering its well-established presence in the UAE and with international airlines, will facilitate such growth for the UAE.”

Shaikh Khalid said: “At SNTTA Cargo, our objective is to ensure that our customers’ cargo is transported in and out of the UAE through the most reliable and safe modes. Integrating rail into our existing mode of transport portfolio will lead to improved cost efficiency and greater customer satisfaction. The advent of rail in the Middle East presents an opportunity for us to review how we move our cargo in a more sustainable manner. We are confident of the invaluable benefits this agreement will bring.”

The Etihad Rail network caters for the transportation of bulk, non-bulk and containers, offering custom-made solutions for everything from steel and cement, to food, chemical products, and more. Network routes have been designed to accommodate each of these key customer sectors, with stations positioned to connect production hubs with points of import and export.