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Etihad Rail Freight and AD Ports Group said in a joint announcement that the new service moves cargo arriving at Fujairah Terminals directly by rail to the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi for customs clearance, inspection and release. The arrangement brings port services inland to locations where businesses maintain warehouses and factories. ICAD has received its own UN Locode of AECAD, which permits shipping lines, freight forwarders and cargo owners to book shipments with the site listed as the final destination and clearance point. This marks the first time such direct designation has been available for the inland facility.
The partnership delivers scheduled rail connections capable of handling high-volume shipments while generating lower carbon emissions than long-haul trucking over the same distance. It is also expected to ease pressure on the road network that has traditionally carried goods from the east coast to Abu Dhabi industrial zones. According to the announcement, the solution simplifies logistics processes and shortens the interval between vessel arrival and final delivery for customers.
Omar Alsebeyi, chief executive officer of Etihad Rail Freight, described the launch as an important step in realising the potential of the national rail network. “The launch of our new Fujairah-ICAD rail service represents another important step in unlocking the full potential of the UAE National Rail Network for our customers,” he said in the statement. “Through our partnership with AD Ports Group, we have created an innovative logistics solution that goes beyond transportation by bringing key port services closer to where cargo is ultimately needed.”
Saif Al Mazrouei, chief executive officer of the ports cluster at AD Ports Group, said the connection integrates Fujairah Terminals, the national rail network and ICAD into a single streamlined route. “Through our partnership with Etihad Rail Freight, we are enabling more seamless, reliable and resilient cargo flows, while providing businesses with greater flexibility in how they access markets and manage their supply chains,” he stated. The executive noted that the approach reinforces Abu Dhabi’s position as a preferred gateway for trade and industry.
Etihad Rail figures from 2025 show the operator transported more than 6.5 million tonnes of sulphur, over 10 million tonnes of aggregates and 148,000 containers while removing more than 500,000 truck journeys from roads in the Al Dhafra region. The company has established a target of moving 60 million tonnes of cargo per year by 2030. In March 2026 the freight division operated more than 100 train trips over nine days, carrying over 459,000 tonnes and 7,900 containers across the network.
The UAE national rail network currently supports freight operations across 11 terminals and four major ports. Etihad Rail Freight has progressively expanded corridors to meet rising demand from industrial and commercial sectors. The addition of the Fujairah-ICAD route extends the inland reach of east coast port facilities through the existing rail infrastructure.
