Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the UAE's national railway network, has been certified as ISO 9001:2008 compliant in the field of quality management by Bureau Veritas, a global leader in testing, inspection and certification, and the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS).

The 1200 km Etihad Rail network will connect industrial areas as well as urban and peripheral communities throughout the country, facilitating trade and fostering economic growth. The network will also form a vital part of the planned GCC railway network - linking the UAE to Saudi Arabia via Ghweifat in the west and Oman via Al Ain in the east.

Commenting on the award, Eng. Faris Saif Al Mazrouei, acting CEO of Etihad Rail, said: "Achieving excellence and maintaining the highest quality standards in the world are integral to this modern, state-of-the-art infrastructure development. Building a rail network to the highest safety and sustainability standards has always been, and will remain, our first priority."

Al Mazrouei further added: "Receiving this accreditation is a result of the hard work and unrelenting efforts of the entire team at Etihad Rail. Our intention has long been to become a source of national pride and a trusted mode of transport across the Emirates, and this most recent ISO certification is an important step in achieving this."

Etihad Rail's quality management system conforms to the world's highest standards, in line with UAE Vision 2021.

"Operational excellence is at the heart of what we do each day and we will continue our endeavours to meet and exceed the best standards in the world," added Al Mazroui.

This ISO 9001:2008 certification recognises and verifies that Etihad Rail's policies, systems and operations are consistent in quality with the best standards in the world. In order to meet ISO 9001:2008 requirements, Etihad Rail recently developed and implemented a comprehensive quality management system.

These efforts have culminated in a certification from Bureau Veritas, following a comprehensive external audit that was recently completed.