Etihad Rail and AD Ports Group have launched a direct freight service between Fujairah port terminals and the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD). Under the initiative, cargo arriving in Fujairah can be transported directly by rail to Abu Dhabi, where inspection, customs clearance and delivery procedures will be completed at ICAD’s inland terminal.

The service, launched in partnership with Etihad Rail Freight and AD Ports Group, aims to streamline customs procedures, reduce unnecessary cargo handling and accelerate deliveries to factories, warehouses and distribution centres.

A key element of the project is the assignment of the international UN/LOCODE AECAD to the ICAD terminal. The designation allows shipping companies, freight forwarders and cargo owners, for the first time, to list ICAD directly as the transport destination and customs clearance location in their documentation.

Under the process, containers arriving at Fujairah Port will be transported to the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi via the UAE’s national railway network. Importers, exporters, manufacturers and logistics companies will also be able to receive goods closer to their operating locations.

Project officials said scheduled freight trains would increase capacity for transporting high-volume cargo while helping to reduce road congestion and carbon emissions compared with long-distance trucking.

Omar Alsebeyi, CEO of Etihad Rail Freight, said the partnership would extend rail services beyond the transportation of goods by bringing port and customs services closer to customers. Saif Al Mazrouei, CEO of the Ports Cluster at AD Ports Group, said linking Fujairah, the national railway network and ICAD would enhance supply chain resilience and strengthen Abu Dhabi’s position as a commercial and industrial hub.