Global logistics provider Noatum Logistics, a subsidiary of AD Ports Group, has announced a strategic partnership with Hafeet Rail - the joint-venture rail infrastructure company linking the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
The collaboration aims to launch a dedicated freight rail corridor between the UAE and Oman, marking a milestone for cross-border logistics in the Gulf.
Under the preliminary agreement, signed during the Global Rail 2025 exhibition in Abu Dhabi, Noatum Logistics will operate a daily rail freight service, utilising Hafeet Rail’s upcoming network that connects Sohar in Oman to Abu Dhabi in the UAE.
The plan envisages seven container trains per week, each with a capacity of up to 276 TEUs - which translates to an annual capacity of around 193,200 TEUs.
The dedicated trains will handle 20-, 40- and 45-foot containers and cover a broad spectrum of goods including general cargo, manufactured goods, food-items, pharmaceuticals, agri-foods and other essential supplies currently traded between the two nations.
Boost to Regional Logistics
The new rail service marks a significant upgrade in regional logistics infrastructure. For Noatum Logistics and AD Ports Group, it furthers their strategy of offering integrated, multimodal logistics solutions across land, sea and air - by adding rail as a scalable, reliable and more sustainable transport mode.
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As Samir Chaturvedi, CEO of Noatum Logistics, noted: “By linking two of the region’s most strategic hubs via rail for the first time, we are extending the reach of our service and enabling customers to benefit from a mode of transport that is cost-effective, scalable, and sustainable."
For Hafeet Rail, the project underscores its role as the first cross-border rail network in the Gulf region, designed to unify the UAE-Oman freight supply chain.
Ahmed Al Musawa Al Hashemi, CEO of Hafeet Rail said: "This agreement with Noatum Logistics marks a new major milestone as we are progressing with the development of the cross-border railway between the two nations. With dedicated rail service, we enable reliable, efficient cross-border container transport between Oman and the UAE, strengthening trade and driving sustainable growth.”
Impact and Benefits
Cost and time efficiency: Rail freight offers a more predictable transit schedule compared with road haulage, and can avoid traffic, tolls and road-bans.
Sustainability: Moving large volumes by train rather than truck reduces fuel consumption and carbon emissions per tonne of cargo.
Trade integration: The corridor bolsters economic integration between the UAE and Oman, opening new logistics routes and enhancing connectivity between industrial hubs, ports and inland zones.
Capacity: With the ability to carry around 193,200 TEUs annually in the initial phase, it offers a substantial uplift in container volumes between the two countries.
On the Right Track
The rail link between Sohar Port and Abu Dhabi is part of a broader regional rail vision and builds on Hafeet Rail’s planned 238-km network.
Meanwhile, Noatum Logistics already provides rail-based solutions: for example, its UAE service between Khalifa Port and Fujairah, launched in September 2024, was the first rail-shuttle solution in the region.
While no exact commercial launch date was announced in the press release, the partnership signals readiness to capitalise once Hafeet Rail’s infrastructure is operational. It also hints that Noatum Logistics may scale the service depending on demand, replicating the expansion path of its earlier rail offering.
This partnership positions AD Ports Group and its logistics arm Noatum as early movers in the UAE-Oman rail freight market. By leveraging the upcoming Hafeet Rail network, they are laying the groundwork for a more integrated, efficient and sustainable logistics corridor across the Gulf.
For regional shippers and supply-chain stakeholders, the move offers a potentially transformative alternative to trucking and sea-road combinations - one that may redefine freight flows between the UAE, Oman and beyond.
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