Under the scorching sun at the port of Suhar in Oman, heavy bulldozers roared and pushed away the first shovel of sand. For this' railway free country 'that has long relied on road transportation, this is not only a physical breakthrough, but also a reshaping of the economic landscape. With the substantial progress of the Hafeet Rail project, Oman is accelerating towards the goal of becoming a logistics powerhouse set by the "2040 Vision".

Cross border railways break down logistics barriers

The cross-border railway project between Oman and the United Arab Emirates is the first cross-border railway network in the Gulf region, with a total length of 238 kilometers and a total investment of up to 2.5 billion US dollars. This railway will set multiple regional records: freight trains can carry up to 15000 tons (equivalent to 270 standard containers) per trip, and passenger trains can reach speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour.

After the completion of the project, the travel time from Abu Dhabi to Suhar will be shortened from the current few hours to only 100 minutes. It will connect five important ports and industrial zones of the two countries, becoming a strategic project supporting the "Oman 2040 Vision" and the "UAE 2071 Centenary Plan". According to estimates, the railway can reduce about 300000 tons of carbon emissions annually, strengthening the position of the Gulf region as a global logistics hub.

60 bridges and 2.5 kilometers of tunnels

Faced with the complex terrain of Oman, the construction of this railway can be considered a "hardcore" project. The project plans to construct 60 bridges and a tunnel network with a total length of 2.5 kilometers to cope with the challenges of mountains and deserts.

In order to ensure the stability and safety of the infrastructure, the project party has signed a pile foundation testing subcontract contract with a professional company to conduct precision testing such as bidirectional load testing and ultrasonic cross hole testing. These projects not only demonstrate the technological strength of modern infrastructure, but also accumulate valuable experience for the future construction of Oman's national railway network.

Electric Power Construction and CRRC enter the market with strong momentum

In the wave of railway construction in Oman, the presence of Chinese enterprises is particularly prominent. In February 2025, a joint venture between China Power Construction and India's L&T signed an EPC contract with Hafit Railway Company for the Oman section I2 freight facilities and station project.

At the same time, CRRC Changjiang has also signed a freight train procurement agreement with Hafit Railway Company, which will design and provide high-performance freight trains for the project. China Power Construction Corporation has become the only Chinese enterprise to win the bid for the six civil engineering sections of this multinational project, marking the first breakthrough of Chinese enterprises in the Oman rail transit market.

With the entry of heavy machinery, Oman's "railway era" has officially begun. This steel artery connecting the Gulf will not only change Oman's transportation pattern, but also reshape the logistics ecology of the entire Middle East region.Editor/Yang Meiling