Oman-Etihad Rail Company + steel maker Jindal to transport its steel to the UAE: Oman-Etihad Rail Company (OERC) and Omani Jindal Shadeed Iron & Steel (Jindal) signed an MoU to set up a green transport logistics corridor between the UAE and Jindal’s steel complex at Sohar Port through the UAE-Oman Rail Network, Emirati news agency WAM reports.

The details: The agreement will see some 4 mn tonnes of raw materials and steel products transported from Jindal’s steel complex to the UAE, WAM added.

What they said: “The MoU will enable Jindal to enhance its supply chain efficiency, benefiting from the UAE-Oman Rail Network’s fast, cost-effective, and sustainable services,” Deputy CEO of OERC Mohammed bin Zahran Al Mahrouqi said.

This is not OERC’s first agreement for metals transport: OERC previously signed an MoU with Brazil’s Vale to work on developing logistical solutions to ship iron ore and derivatives from Vale’s industrial hub in Oman’s Sohar Port and Freezone to Vale’s factories and distribution points.

Background: Etihad Rail and Oman Rail signed a USD 3 bn agreement last year to establish The Oman and Etihad Rail Company, linking Oman’s Sohar Port with the UAE’s national railway network. The transport link between the UAE and Oman — first announced in September — is aimed at boosting trade between the two countries and the region. The rail line serves both passenger and freight trains.

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