At the Abu Dhabi meeting, Pakistan offers multibillion-dollar rail projects to increase regional trade.

Bilal Azhar Kayani, the Minister of State for Finance and Railways, argued at a global transport summit in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday that modern infrastructure was crucial to development and that multibillion-dollar renovations of two national rail corridors were critical to regional connectivity and trade.

The main passenger and freight line in Pakistan is the Main Line-1 (ML-1), which runs 1,872 kilometers from Karachi to Peshawar. Meanwhile, the Main Line-3 (ML-3) connects Quetta to Kotri via Jacobabad and is an essential route for regional trade and the transportation of minerals.

Islamabad has long planned to upgrade both projects in order to increase freight capacity, reduce travel times, and bring the rail network up to international standards.

As part of a ministerial discussion on “Building Connected Nations” at the Global Rail Transport Infrastructure Exhibition and Conference hosted by Etihad Rail, Kayani stated, “It goes without saying that infrastructure and economic prosperity are interlocked.”

“Strong regional integration, job creation, and growth can all be facilitated by robust connectivity.”

According to him, the improvements will contribute to making Pakistan’s railway “an environmentally sustainable, dependable, and efficient backbone of national transport.”

Kayani stated that ML-1 and ML-3 will support comparable advancements in the rail industry, citing Pakistan’s national motorway building as an illustration of how connection promotes growth, job creation, and integration.

He met with Shadi Malak, the CEO of Etihad Rail, on the sidelines to talk about possible collaboration in network growth, technology sharing, and freight logistics. In order to examine local rail system advances, he also went to the show booths of Etihad Rail and Hafeet Rail.

In a separate visit to the Qasr Al Bahr palace, Kayani delivered greetings and an invitation to visit Pakistan from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, according to state broadcaster PTV. Both parties reiterated their dedication to strengthening their bilateral relationship.