Abu Dhabi’s imports take the train from Fujairah

Etihad Rail Freight and AD Ports Group are launching a direct rail service linking Fujairah Terminals to the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD), according to a statement. The service will carry inbound containers across the UAE’s national rail network to an inland terminal at ICAD, moving customs inspection, clearance, and release closer to businesses’ warehouses and factories. Freight capacity wasn’t disclosed.

Why it matters: A port outside Hormuz only helps if cargo can move efficiently beyond its gates — a constraint we flagged in our coverage of rail as a fallback against a Hormuz closure and why Gulf rail wasn’t ready. Alternative gateways need onward connections to work as effective fallbacks, and the inland connection with ports was the limiting factor.

Customers can book cargo straight: The industrial city has been assigned a location code, AECAD, allowing shipping lines, freight forwarders, and cargo owners to book shipments with ICAD as the final destination and customs clearance point. The service targets Abu Dhabi’s importers, exporters, manufacturers, distributors, and logistics providers.

This is a practical improvement whether the strait is open or disrupted. Combining rail transport with inland clearance should reduce handling, shorten final delivery distances, and cut reliance on expensive trucking. “A corridor with the right distances and volumes, where the economics worked on their own terms rather than only under emergency conditions, can retain real and durable business as a secondary route,” former strategy director at Etihad Rail and Dubai-based transport, logistics, and infrastructure expert Urs Mosimann previously told EnterpriseAM.