THE United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) state operator Etihad Rail has signed memorandums of understanding (MoU) with the railways of four African countries: Chad, Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda.

The MoUs were signed as a result of a high-level ministerial meeting hosted by Etihad Rail in Abu Dhabi. Attendees included Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, UAE minister of state, Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, minister of energy and infrastructure, Shadi Malak, CEO of Etihad Rail, and high-ranking ministerial representatives from Kenya, Chad, South Sudan, Uganda, and Cameroon.

They included Madut Biar Yel, minister of transport in South Sudan, Mathieu Guibolo Fanga, minister of trade and industry in Chad, Davis Chirchir, cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Roads and Transport in Kenya, Dr Richard Sendi Nyunzi Hans, assistant undersecretary, head of planning and strategy department, Standard Gauge Railway Project, Ministry of Works and Transport in Uganda and Claude Ntone, general director of railways at the Ministry of Transport in Cameroon, who attended virtually.

The aim of the meeting was to build long-term strategic relationships in the fields of infrastructure, logistics and transport. This will include a feasibility study for the development of railway, logistics and infrastructure projects in the countries that participated in the meeting.

The four MoUs are designed to strengthen cooperation frameworks between the countries, particularly in the railway sector, and encourage the transfer of expertise and knowledge to enhance transport systems.

"These MoUs reflect the UAE’s dedication to fostering long-term partnerships with African nations to advance sustainable transport infrastructure as a catalyst for economic transformation and regional integration,” says Malak. By Mark Simmons, IRJ