

Group, said, “We are proud of our successful and long-standing partnership with Etihad Rail. We look forward to future opportunities, to work together again and achieve further successes.” We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Deutsche Bahn, who shared valuable knowledge and expertise, aiding us in our goals to become one of the leading entities in the railway industry globally. Shadi Malak, Chief Executive Officer at Etihad Rail, said, “We conclude our knowledge transfer programme with our partner of almost a decade Deutsche Bahn, ahead of schedule and in line with international best practices. Supplementary to knowledge transfer, Deutsche Bahn provided Etihad Rail with guidance on the Health, Safety, Environment, & Quality (HSEQ) requirements and the development of the Operational Safety Case, which ultimately resulted in Etihad Rail DB’s accreditation as the UAE’s first heavy rail operator. These areas of support and experience shared by Deutsche Bahn led to the achievement of critical milestones, enabling Etihad Rail to establish a vital national industry through the creation of the UAE’s first railway network. This took place during InnoTrans 2022, the leading international trade fair for transport technology, which was held in Berlin, Germany from 20-23 September 2022. The partnership between the two organisations, oversaw the establishment of the joint venture Etihad Rail DB in 2013, where the exchange of knowledge in railway operations, operations control centres (OCCs), maintenance of rolling stock, and development of the operating rules and regulations, was integral for subsequent operations.

WAMĮtihad Rail has concluded, ahead of schedule, the knowledge transfer programme with Deutsche Bahn (DB), Europe’s largest railway operator and infrastructure owner. The UAE Railway Programme is the largest integrated system for transporting goods across the country.
