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With 40% of the works completed, the Hafeet Rail railway advances in the Middle East, connects five strategic ports, promises 100-minute trips between Abu Dhabi and Sohar, and targets global trade, while drones increase the risk over vital infrastructure for cargo and passengers amid regional tension.
The Hafeet Rail railway gained new strategic weight after announcing on April 21, 2026, that it had reached 40% completion in the connection between Oman and the United Arab Emirates. The project aims to integrate the Emirati railway network with the port of Sohar, creating a cross-border corridor for passengers and cargo in the Middle East.
According to the portal Xataka, the project emerges at a delicate moment. While machines, structures, and engineering consortia transform the plan into reality, the regional environment is marked by geopolitical tension, drone attacks, and warnings about the vulnerability of infrastructures once seen as protected.
Railway between United Arab Emirates and Oman promises to change logistics in the Gulf
The Hafeet Rail was designed to connect two countries that already hold important positions in the Gulf’s trade routes. The proposal is to create a direct link between the United Arab Emirates and Oman, bringing industrial areas, ports, and cargo terminals closer together in a single operational network.
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The expected impact is not limited to the transportation of goods. The railway is also expected to serve passengers, reducing the journey between Abu Dhabi and Sohar to about 100 minutes, a much shorter time than the current road travel, estimated at over three hours through roads and border crossings.
Five ports, cargo terminals, and a $3 billion project
The project is estimated at around $3 billion and has as one of its main promises the direct connection with five strategic ports. Additionally, the structure is expected to connect with more than fifteen cargo terminals, increasing the capacity for product circulation between the two countries.
In practice, the railway can reduce logistical costs and provide more predictability to regional transport. For companies that depend on deadlines, customs, ports, and land routes, railway integration can represent a more stable alternative compared to long road routes subject to bottlenecks.
The project has reached 40% and involves heavy engineering in the desert
The construction is no longer just a promise. Overall progress has reached 40%, with significant earth movement and dozens of structures underway. The main project will span 238 kilometers, crossing challenging terrain between the two countries.
The civil works were awarded to an Omani-Emirati consortium led by Trojan Construction Group and Galfar Engineering and Contracting. So far, the site has recorded 10 million hours worked without a major accident, a relevant statistic for a large-scale project with complex operations.
Passenger trains may reach 200 km/h
Hafeet Rail was designed for mixed use, with both passenger and freight transport. Passenger trains will be able to reach up to 200 km/h, while heavy freight trains will have a maximum speed of 120 km/h, a necessary difference to balance agility, safety, and operational efficiency.
The railway will also feature advanced control technology, with the adoption of ETCS Level 2, a European train control system. The implementation will be carried out by a joint venture between Siemens and HAC, allowing digital tracking and control of the trains using GPS technology.
Drones place infrastructure under a new logic of risk
Despite technical advances, the project faces a central question: how to operate strategic infrastructure in a region where cheap drones have changed the logic of conflicts? Such attacks have shown that critical installations can be hit even when they seemed far from the traditional battlefield.
This risk weighs on the railway because it is not just a transport project. It becomes part of a sensitive commercial, port, and economic network. In a scenario of intermittent blockades, military tension, and aerial threats, operational security becomes as important as tracks, bridges, and digital systems.
Regional integration still depends on bureaucracy and coordination
Another challenge lies outside the construction sites. To function fully, Hafeet Rail will require regulatory alignment between the United Arab Emirates and Oman, as well as integration between port, customs, and railway services.
The choice of the name Hafeet Rail also carries symbolism. The identity refers to Jebel Hafeet, a mountain formation that crosses the border between the two countries and serves as a shared geographical landmark. The railway attempts to transform this natural connection into a modern economic corridor.
Hafeet Rail sums up a contradiction of the current Middle East: while governments and companies invest in integration infrastructure, the region coexists with a hybrid war marked by drones, military tension, and permanent risk to trade routes. The project progresses, but its success will depend on security, coordination, and stability.
Now the discussion remains: can a railway of this magnitude truly become a new artery of global trade in such a sensitive area, or does the geopolitical risk still outweigh the economic promise? Leave your opinion in the comments.
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