UAE National Rail Network Connects Abu Dhabi with Dubai

Dubai Deputy Ruler, Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Chairman of Etihad Rail Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the rail network. (WAM)
Dubai Deputy Ruler, Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Chairman of Etihad Rail Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the rail network. (WAM)
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UAE National Rail Network Connects Abu Dhabi with Dubai

Dubai Deputy Ruler, Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Chairman of Etihad Rail Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the rail network. (WAM)
Dubai Deputy Ruler, Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Chairman of Etihad Rail Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the rail network. (WAM)

The UAE completed the railway directly linking Abu Dhabi with Dubai as part of Etihad Rail to connect the rest of the Emirates with an integrated railway network.

The railway track marks the start of a new phase of logistic and economic integration between the two emirates and in preparation for linking the rest of the emirates to an integrated national railway network in the UAE.

The completion of the central railway between Abu Dhabi and Dubai comes within the framework of "The UAE Railway Program," which was launched as a part of the Projects of the 50, with an investment worth $13.6 billion.

The UAE Railway Program includes a national network of railway projects that would link the seven emirates. It is expected to create economic opportunities amounting to $54.4 billion.

Dubai Deputy Ruler, Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, stressed that the Railway Program reflects UAE's ambitions and aspirations to start the next 50 years with substantial development projects that enhance its position as a leading regional and global hub in the sectors of trade, economy, and logistics services.

Sheikh Maktoum noted that the completion of the central railway of the Rail Network project between Dubai and Abu Dhabi represents a pivotal phase that shows the great benefits of this national project in linking all the emirates of the country and boosting transportation between industrial and economic centers and facilitating transportation within the UAE.

"The economic effects of linking Abu Dhabi and Dubai via the 'UAE National Rail Network' will extend for many years," Sheikh Maktoum was quoted by the WAM state news agency.

Chairman of Etihad Rail Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan stressed the importance of completing the central railway of the National Network connecting Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Sharjah, joining the cities and industries to a safe and sustainable rail network.

"The completion of the main railway will enhance the strategic position of the project at the transport and infrastructure levels, and contributes to the promotion of sustainable development in the UAE, and the consolidation of its position to remain in the first ranks at the regional and global levels."

The railway of 256 km is designed based on the highest international standards and specifications concerned with environmental aspects, safety, and quality, which will play a pivotal role in developing the UAE National Rail Network, facilitating goods transportation within the UAE, and reducing transportation costs.

The railway includes 29 bridges, 60 crossings, and 137 drainage channels. The total excavation and backfill work amounted to 46 million cubic meters, with 13,300 workers recording more than 47 million working hours.

At a 200 km/h, the project will connect 11 cities within the UAE, where passengers can travel from Abu Dhabi to Dubai in 50 minutes and from Abu Dhabi to Fujairah in 100 minutes.



Japan Plans 'World First' Deep-sea Mineral Extraction

The Chikyu, pictured here in 2013, will drill around the remote island of Minami Torishima. TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA / AFP/File
The Chikyu, pictured here in 2013, will drill around the remote island of Minami Torishima. TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA / AFP/File
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Japan Plans 'World First' Deep-sea Mineral Extraction

The Chikyu, pictured here in 2013, will drill around the remote island of Minami Torishima. TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA / AFP/File
The Chikyu, pictured here in 2013, will drill around the remote island of Minami Torishima. TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA / AFP/File

Japan will from January attempt to extract rare earth minerals from the ocean floor in the deepest trial of its kind, the director of a government innovation program said Thursday.

Earlier this week the country pledged to work with the United States, India and Australia to ensure a stable supply of critical minerals, as concern grows over China's dominance in resources vital to new technologies.

Rare earths -- 17 metals difficult to extract from the Earth's crust -- are used in everything from electric vehicles to hard drives, wind turbines and missiles.

China accounts for almost two-thirds of rare earth mining production and 92 percent of global refined output, according to the International Energy Agency.

A Japanese deep-sea scientific drilling boat called the Chikyu will from January conduct a "test cruise" to retrieve ocean floor sediments that contain rare earth elements, said Shoichi Ishii, director of Japan's Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program.

"The test to retrieve the sediments from 5,500 meters (3.4 miles) water depth is the first in the world," he told AFP.

"Our goal... of this cruise is to test the function of all mining equipment," so the amount of sediment extracted "doesn't matter at all", Ishii added.

The Chikyu will drill in Japanese economic waters around the remote island of Minami Torishima in the Pacific -- the easternmost point of Japan, also used as a military base.

Japan's Nikkei business daily reported that the mission aims to extract 35 tons of mud from the sea floor over around three weeks.

Each ton is expected to contain around two kilograms (4.4 pounds) of rare earth minerals, which are often used to make magnets that are essential in modern electronics.

Deep-sea mining has become a geopolitical flashpoint, with anxiety growing over a push by US President Donald Trump to fast-track the practice in international waters.

Beijing has since April required licenses to export rare earths from China, a move seen as retaliation for US curbs on the import of Chinese goods.

Environmental campaigners warn that deep-sea mining threatens marine ecosystems and will disrupt the sea floor.

The International Seabed Authority, which has jurisdiction over the ocean floor outside national waters, is meeting later this month to discuss a global code to regulate mining in the ocean depths.