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The UAE's rail project will expand to include passenger train services running across the country, the UAE's leaders said on Sunday in a major announcement.

Etihad Rail's network will grow from running heavy goods services to carry millions of passengers between its major cities by 2030, the government said.

The project – worth an estimated Dh200 billion to the economy – will allow "passengers to travel from Abu Dhabi to Dubai in 50 minutes, and from Abu Dhabi to Fujairah in 100 minutes", a statement read.

"Etihad Rail is the largest project to consolidate the strength of the union for the next 50 years. It will connect 11 key cities and regions across the UAE," said Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.

"The project comes in line with the environmental policy of the UAE and it will reduce carbon emissions by 70-80 per cent".

At a briefing at Expo 2020 Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, reviewed progress on the expanding rail network and its impact on the local economy.

Officials did not give a start date for the first passenger services but said "by 2030, the number of passengers is expected to reach more than 36.5 million annually".

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Petrochemicals company Borouge awarded contracts for the development of the fourth unit of a polyolefin manufacturing complex in the UAE's downstream centre of Ruwais.

The engineering, procurement and construction contracts were awarded to Abu Dhabi’s Al Asab General Transport and Contracting, French construction company Technip Energies and Italy-based Tecnimont, Borouge said on Sunday.

Borouge is a joint venture between ADNOC and Austrian chemicals producer Borealis. Last month, the two companies signed an agreement to invest $6.2 billion to expand the Ruwais complex and build a fourth unit, Borouge 4.

With this expansion, Borouge will become the world’s largest single-site polyolefin complex. It will also enable the next phase of growth at the Ruwais Industrial Complex by supplying feedstock to the Ta’ziz Industrial Chemicals Zone.

"Borouge 4 is a key contributor to advancing the UAE’s ambitions for economic diversification, helping boost exports to customers globally,” said chief executive Hazeem Al Suwaidi.

The expansion will further strengthen Borouge’s international presence and will help in generating In-Country Value. About 60 per cent of all engineering, procurement, commissioning and construction activities will be managed by local companies and local materials will be used, the company said.

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The UAE and France have signed 13 mega agreements and memorandums of understanding, including the Rafale fighter jets deal, during the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron amid the Year of 50th celebrations.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, welcomed Macron at the Expo 2020 Dubai.

The leaders discussed friendly relations, joint cooperation and opportunities in various fields, especially in the investment and economic aspects, advanced technology, energy and food security, culture and education.

During the meeting, both sides reviewed issues and exchanged views on the developments in the region and globally. They affirmed their determination to strengthen the various aspects of the strategic partnership, and the importance of sharing a common vision in supporting peaceful solutions and initiatives aimed at ensuring security and stability in the region.

The UAE’s Ministry of Defence entered into three agreements with French entities. First with Dassault Aviation on the purchase of aircraft and associated products and services, second with MBDA on the supply of Rafale arms equipment, and third with Airbus Helicopters on the purchase of H225M helicopters.

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The Abu Dhabi energy giant ADNOC’s next five-year business plan, with investments of Dh466 billion, has been approved. This will increase both upstream production capabilities as well as the company’s downstream portfolio.

In addition, the proposed investments will add to low carbon fuels business and clean energy plans. ADNOC intends to bring back Dh160 billion ($43.6 billion) back into the UAE economy across 2022-2026 through its ICV (in-country value) programme.

ADNOC has confirmed a “significant increase” in national reserves of 4 billion stock tank barrels (STB) of oil and 16 trillion standard cubic feet (TSCF) of natural gas. These additional reserves increase the UAE’s hydrocarbon reserves base to 111 billion STB of oil and 289 TSCF of natural gas, reinforcing the country’s position in global rankings as the holder of the sixth-largest oil reserves and the seventh-largest gas reserves.

This was confirmed after His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and Chairman of the Board of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), presided over the annual meeting of the Board of Directors. It was held at the UAE Pavilion at the Expo 2020 site.

“The UAE will continue to responsibly unlock its hydrocarbon resources to drive progress and contribute to global energy security,” said Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed.

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UAE-based delivery service Barq EV set a Guinness World Record when the firm’s logistics drone completed the longest non-stop return flight for a drone at 18.065 kilometres.

The achievement is a sign of things to come, as Dubai sets ambitious targets to expand a drone-based delivery network to relieve pressure on congested roads.

The Dubai Programme to Enable Drone Transportation initiative was launched by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, in November.

It aims to enable drone use across several sectors, including health, security, shipping and food.

Barq Ev set another Guinness World Record for the longest flight of a drone for a delivery service at 13.584km, placing the company at the forefront of potential new developments in Dubai.

“We are at the very nascent stage of the company and we have already broken two Guinness World Records, it is an extremely proud moment for all of us,” said Ahmad Al Mazrouei, a founder of the company.

“This achievement is a testimony to our readiness to launch the drone delivery service in the country.”

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Amazon will build the Middle East's most technologically advanced fulfilment centre in Abu Dhabi through a partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO).

The 175,000 square-metre site, expected to be completed by 2024, aims to create thousands of jobs, drive innovations in logistics and give local entrepreneurs and retailers access to new markets through Amazon.

“The addition of Amazon’s new fulfilment centre further boosts the emirate’s ecosystem by introducing new capabilities and an enhanced infrastructure that deliver benefits to other businesses," said Mohammed Al Shorafa, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development and head of ADIO.

ADIO, which already has a partnership with AWS for cloud data centres, lured Amazon with incentives on land, construction and sustainable energy at the new site, for an undisclosed value. The government entity, which started operations in 2019, is responsible for attracting and facilitating investment in Abu Dhabi.

As part of the collaboration with ADIO, Amazon will provide dedicated seller training over the next decade to entrepreneurs and local business owners.

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Abu Dhabi's new dedicated cancer centre aims to cut waiting times and boost survival rates as part of an ambitious mission to become a global leader in health care innovation.

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi's sprawling oncology centre - which is due to open next year - will boast 24 exam rooms, 24 infusion rooms, two procedure rooms, and an area devoted to specialised women’s services set across ten floors and 19,000 square-metres.

The cutting-edge facility is key to plans to transform Cleveland Clinic into the best health centre in the region.

Doctors will have a centralised multidisciplinary centre at their disposal, providing radiotherapy services, helping them to treat patients faster and more efficiently.

Currently, patients in the capital have to travel to Al Ain's Tawam Hospital to receive crucial radiotherapy treatment.

While technology is central to the bold vision, it is driven by a desire to support cancer patients throughout their journey, helping to reduce anxiety and improve their general health along the way.

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The UAE has issued Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021, which governs labour relations in the country.

Nazar Musa, CEO at PRO Partner Group discusses the upcoming changes to UAE Labour Law with Abu Dhabi SME Hub and what impact this will have on companies doing business in UAE:

"The changes to the law aim to bring the UAE workplace in line with the best international practices in terms of safeguarding employee rights and should greatly contribute to attract talent to a flexible and modern work environment. The improved working environment and employee rights that the law brings in will make the UAE more attractive from a working and living aspect for all sectors of the market."

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The UAE revealed its first fully autonomous taxi at an event in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

The project, named TXAI, consists of a fleet of vehicles that will be seen on UAE roads for a trial later this month. The ride-sharing services trial will be conducted on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

Announced at the Abu Dhabi Smart City Summit, TXAI is the first autonomous driving project to go ahead on a public road in the capital. In charge is a G42 subsidiary called Bayanat, a geospatial, data analytics and AI company in the UAE.

‘This project is one of the bold regional steps in employing accurate data-driven artificial intelligence techniques within the transport network’ said Falah Al Ahbabi, Department of Municipalities and Transport, yesterday.

Bayanat and Abu Dhabi’s Department of Municipalities and Transport teamed up in March this year to lead the development of autonomous vehicles.

In phase one of the project, five vehicles will transport passengers between nine stops including hotels, restaurants, malls and offices.

Phase two will involve more vehicles and more locations in Abu Dhabi.

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