Abu Dhabi Customs signs a cooperation agreement with Etihad Rail to provide unique freight traffic solutions in the UAE

The signing ceremony was attended by His Highness Sheikh Diab bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Member of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, Chairman of Etihad Rail Company and HE Jassim Mohammed Buatabh Al Zaabi, Acting Chairman of the Department of Finance, and signed by HE Rashed Lahej Al Mansoori, Director General of Abu Dhabi Customs and Engineer Shadi Malak, CEO of Etihad Rail.

His Highness Sheikh Diab bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said, “This agreement represents an important step in the future strategy of Etihad Rail, and contributes to achieving its vision which seeks to achieve integrated connection of cities and industries with a safe and sustainable train network to consolidate the effectiveness of the role of Etihad Rail in promoting the UAE international trade and facilitate customs clearance, and create a quantum leap in the logistics sector by providing a rail network characterized by efficiency and sustainability and binging about unique solutions for the shipping traffic in the UAE.

On his part, His Excellency Jassim Mohammed Buatabh Al Zaabi, Acting Chairman of the Department of Finance said, “We are delighted to sign this agreement with Etihad Rail and to work together to enhance the UAE’s leading role in the logistics sector regionally and globally, in line with the vision of Abu Dhabi Customs that aims at bringing about distinguished customs management to serve the national interests towards achieving reliable economic leadership at the global level through more efficient and better quality ports.

Under this agreement, the procedures of customs operations and freight and passenger railway transportation will be developed in the exporting country, and Etihad Rail and the General Administration of Customs - Abu Dhabi will cooperate and discuss to activate these customs operations so as to support growth and progress in various economic sectors in the country and the region.

HE Rashed Lahej Al Mansoori, Director General of Abu Dhabi Customs said, “This agreement comes within the commitment of the General Administration of Customs - Abu Dhabi Customs to the directives of the wise leadership in respect of building an integrated strategic plan for customs work in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, which puts at the forefront of its concerns providing the community with security and safety, and developing the procedures for movement of people and goods and provision of distinctive customs services, collection of customs revenues using technology and world best practices in this field, and providing inspectors with the latest technologies and smart electronic services to support them in carrying out their tasks.

Etihad Rail has recently announced that it awarded first package of the second phase of the civil works and construction tender for the UAE national railway network which links Ghuwaifat and Ruwais areas to China State Construction Engineering Corporation (Middle East) LLC and SK Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd. consortium.”