Dubai, Pakistan collaborate on rail, economic zones and infrastructure improvement

Dubai, Pakistan collaborate on rail, economic zones and infrastructure improvement

The governments of Dubai and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan have signed two Inter-Governmental Framework Agreements to strengthen their relations in the marine and logistics sectors, including the potential establishment of a Dedicated Freight Corridor and Economic Zone near Karachi. The agreements were signed at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, by Shahid Ashraf Tarar, Federal Minister of Communication, Railways and Maritime Affairs, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC), Government of Dubai. DP World will act on behalf of the Dubai Government, while state-run Pakistan Railways and Port Qasim Authority will act on behalf of the Pakistan Government, for the development of the projects. The Dedicated Freight Corridor is planned to run from Karachi Port on the Arabian Sea, passing through Karachi, Pakistan’s most populous city, to the Pipri Marshalling Yard, approximately 45 km away. This will improve efficiency and transport times, and reduce the overall cost of logistics. Headquartered in Lahore, Pakistan Railways is Pakistan’s national, state-owned railway company, owning and operating nearly 8,000 km of railway across the country, from Torkham in the northwest to Karachi in the south. A second framework agreement was signed