Etihad Rail Freight and Al Masaood Automobiles have completed the first rail transport of finished passenger vehicles for an automotive dealership in the UAE.
Al Masaood Automobiles, the authorised distributor for Nissan, INFINITI and Renault in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra, partnered with Etihad Rail Freight, a subsidiary of Etihad Rail, for the movement. It is the first time a car dealer in the country has used the national rail network to transport finished vehicles.
The operation expands Etihad Rail Freight’s traffic portfolio beyond bulk commodities into finished automotive logistics. The rail leg connects maritime imports with inland distribution facilities, integrating with existing supply chains between Fujairah and Abu Dhabi.
Rail transport is positioned as an alternative to road haulage for domestic finished vehicle flows. The shift also aligns with the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative, as rail offers lower emissions per tonne-kilometre compared with road freight.
