The Ministry of Railway Transport of Turkmenistan and the UAE-based company Etihad Rail have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during the Global Rail international exhibition in Abu Dhabi, Turkmenportal.com reported citing the ministry’s press service.
The document envisions joint implementation of railway projects abroad, exchange of expertise between specialists of both countries, and expansion of mutually beneficial cooperation opportunities.
The Turkmen delegation, headed by Minister of Railway Transport Mammet Akmammedov, presented the country’s key transport initiatives in the International Projects Pavilion, highlighting Turkmenistan’s growing transit potential.
During the visit, the UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail Al Mazrouei met with the Turkmen delegation and praised the high level of bilateral cooperation in the railway sector.
Etihad Rail CEO Shadi Malak announced that the company’s leadership plans a working visit to Turkmenistan in early October, noting that Turkmen–Emirati cooperation in the railway industry is developing dynamically and holds great promise.
The implementation of the memorandum will lay the groundwork for deeper collaboration between railway agencies, attracting investment, and jointly advancing infrastructure projects internationally.
On the sidelines of the exhibition, Minister Akmammedov also met with Mohammad Ishaq Sahibzada, Afghanistan’s Deputy Minister of Public Works for Railway Transport. The parties discussed increasing cargo turnover and progress in constructing a logistics complex at the Turgundi station.
Particular attention was given to the Turgundi–Herat railway project, which holds humanitarian and strategic importance for ensuring food supplies to residents of Afghanistan’s Herat province and for strengthening Central Asia’s transport connectivity.
The Turkmen delegation also met with Rashid Mohammed Al Kaabi, Deputy Director General of the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, who expressed readiness to consider financing Turkmenistan’s railway projects.
Turkmenistan currently operates a railway network totaling 3,550 km, while the UAE’s railway system extends over 900 km.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
October 8, 2025