Global Rail 2025 To Bring World's Transport Leaders To Abu Dhabi For High-Level Industry Dialogue

• Ministers, global CEOs, innovators, and senior transport leaders will convene, representing businesses with a combined annual turnover of over $140 billion.
• Participants from more than 100 nationalities to gather in Abu Dhabi to shape the future of transport.

Abu Dhabi, 03 September 2025: Etihad Rail hosted a press conference today to announce the speaker line-up for Global Rail 2025, the region's largest mobility and transportation exhibition, which will take place in Abu Dhabi from 30 September to 2 October. The announcement includes confirmed participation from government ministers, global CEOs, and senior transport leaders from over 100 nationalities.

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court, and with the support of His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Etihad Rail, Etihad Rail will host Global Rail 2025 in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MoEI) and dmg events.

Among the speakers at the press conference were H.E. Sheikh Nasser Al Qasemi, Assistant Undersecretary for Infrastructure and Transport at MoEI, Ahmed Al Musawa Al Hashemi, CEO of Hafeet Rail and Chairman of the Executive Committee of Global Rail, Salman Abou Hamzeh, Senior Vice President at dmg events, along with Kholoud Almazrouei, Director of Special Projects at Etihad Rail.

The landmark event will bring together the international transport community from across the entire value chain, to advance cross-border collaboration and innovation in mobility, logistics and infrastructure. The event is expected to welcome over 20,000 participants across three days of strategic dialogue, project showcases, and technical exchange.

This year's exhibition will span 4 halls, featuring more than 200 exhibiting companies and brands across 14 sectors, from infrastructure and rolling stock to digital innovation, financing, and smart mobility. More than 70 companies are exhibiting for the first time, joining 11 national rail operators including Etihad Rail, Hafeet Rail, Qatar Rail, Korea Railways Corporation, India Railways, East Japan Railways, ONCF Chad, Afghanistan Railways, Jordan Hejaz Railway, Renfe Operadora, and Keolis. Together, they reflect the extraordinary growth and international standing that Global Rail has achieved in just its second edition. Furthermore, Global Rail 2025 will convene businesses with a combined annual turnover of over $140 billion, underscoring the event's pivotal role in the global transport industry.

With global passenger traffic expected to reach 9.5bn by the end of 2025, Global Rail represents a unique opportunity to ignite future-forward dialogue, collaboration, and transformation across the transportation industry. The theme of this edition, ‘Driving the Future of Transport and Global Connectivity', reflects Global Rail 2025's mission to act as a bridge that will drive global conversations on accelerating multimodal mobility, forging infrastructure partnerships, and shaping the future of sustainable transport.

Confirmed ministers and senior officials attending Global Rail 2025 include more than 20 ministerial delegations and senior leaders from the public and private sectors, including:

Gulf Cooperation Council

• H.E. Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi - Secretary General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf

United Arab Emirates

• H.E. Suhail Mohamed AlMazrouei - Minister of Energy and Infrastructure

• H.E. Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi - Minister of Foreign Trade

• H.E. Omar Sultan Al Olama - Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications

• H.E. Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa - Chairman, Abu Dhabi Department of Municipalities and Transport

Afghanistan

• H.E. Mawlawi Mohammad Ishaq Sahibzada - Deputy Minister of Railways, Ministry of Public Works

Armenia

• H.E. Davit Khudatyan - Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure

• H.E. Armen Simonyan - Deputy Minister, Ministry Of Territorial Administration And Infrastructure

Bahrain

• H.E. Dr. Shaikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa - Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications

Chad

• H.E. Fatima Goukouni Weddeye - Minister of Transport, Civil Aviation, and National Meteorology

France

• H.E. Philippe Tabarot - Minister of Transport

Jordan

• H.E. Dr. Nidal Al-Qatamin- Minister of Transport

Kenya

• H.E. Davis Chirchir, EGH - Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)

• H.E. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser- Minister of Transport and Logistic Services

Korea

• H.E. Lee Seong Hai - Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Korea National Railway

Kuwait

• H.E. Dr. Nourah Mohammed Khalid Al Mashan - Minister of Public Works

Pakistan

• H.E. Muhammad Hanif Abbasi - Federal Minister for Railways

South Sudan

• H.E. Caesar Oliha Marko - Undersecretary, Ministry of Transport

Turkmenistan

• H.E. Mammet Akmammedov - Minister of Railway Transport

• H.E. Mammetkhan Chakiev - General Director of the Transport and Communications Agency under the Cabinet of Ministers

Uganda

• H.E. Fred Byamukama - Minister of Works and Transport

Uzbekistan

• H.E. Laziz Kudratov - Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade

Alongside government-level participation, the event will also feature speakers from leading transport, logistics and infrastructure companies, including AECOM, Alstom, Asyad, Bayanat, CAF, DB E.C.O. Group, DP World, Jacobs, Hitachi Rail, Keolis, MTR Corporation, SAR, SBS Transit, Siemens Mobility, Škoda Group, and Talgo.

Commenting on the announcement, H.E. Sheikh Nasser Al Qasemi, Assistant Undersecretary for Infrastructure and Transport at MoEI said: “Hosting Global Rail 2025 reflects the UAE's strategic position as a global hub for logistics and transport and embodies its vision of building an advanced and sustainable ecosystem. The event will serve as a key platform to showcase national achievements in infrastructure development and to discuss crucial topics, including sustainability, multimodal integration, eco-friendly transport, artificial intelligence, and the latest practices in safety and security—further reinforcing the UAE's position at the forefront of global innovation.”

Speaking at the press conference, Ahmed Al Musawa Al Hashemi, CEO of Hafeet Rail and Chairman of the Executive Committee of Global Rail said: “Global Rail 2025 reflects the scale of our ambition, not only for the UAE, but for the global transport ecosystem. With the unwavering support of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the continued guidance of His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, we are proud to host this landmark event in Abu Dhabi. Global Rail is a powerful platform to showcase the UAE's leadership in advancing smart mobility, climate action, and economic resilience through rail, which is more vital than ever in shaping a sustainable, interconnected future.”

Salman Abou Hamzeh, Senior Vice President, dmg events, said: Global Rail 2025 has very quickly become the definitive platform for the world's transport and mobility community. In just two editions, the event has grown in scale, ambition and impact, convening ministers, CEOs, innovators and investors from across the globe, in Abu Dhabi. This year, with over 200 exhibitors, 20,000 attendees and an expanded programme of strategic and technical conferences featuring new initiatives, Global Rail 2025 will act as a launchpad for partnerships, innovation and investment that will define the future of mobility. We are proud to organise this landmark event in collaboration with Etihad Rail and our esteemed government and industry partners.

Strategic and Technical Conferences

Global Rail 2025 will feature two world-class conferences — Strategic and Technical — spanning three days of panel discussions, case studies, fireside chats, and exclusive project insights, with 200 speakers confirmed to participate across both conferences.

The Strategic Conference will host 55+ expert-led sessions, covering themes such as high-speed rail project delivery, intermodal operations, sustainable financing, policy and governance, interoperability and network harmonisation, AI and automation, and future city planning.

The Technical Conference will complement these discussions with expert-led sessions on engineering, digitalisation, rolling stock, asset management, and operational innovation, featuring global experts, research institutions, and pioneering R&D.

The event will also celebrate the second edition of the Global Rail Innovation Award, a flagship initiative offering an AED 1 million grant to accelerate transformative solutions in transport, mobility, and logistics. This year, the award received 242 entries, more than three times last year's total, reflecting the award's growing reputation as a launchpad for innovation in transport and mobility.

Dedicated Exhibition Zones and Global Representation

Global Rail will feature a wide range of dedicated zones and international showcases, offering unmatched global exposure and deal-making potential.

Key features include:

• 9 Country Pavilions, featuring participation from:

Austria, Germany, India, Jordan, Poland, Qatar, South Korea, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

• International Projects Pavilion, highlighting billion-dollar infrastructure plans and investment opportunities from 8 countries including: Afghanistan, Chad, Kenya, Paraguay, South Sudan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan

• Finance Pavilion, connecting developers, OEMs, operators, and financiers, featuring 8 banks and financial institutions including, First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), AIIB, Euler Hermes, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), KFW IPEX-Bank, OeKB-Austria, UK Export Finance, and Emirates NBD.

• The Innovation Hub will spotlight AI, automation, and next-generation mobility technologies from over 25 companies including Nevomo, CEMIT, Hitachi, Space42, IronBox, ADNOC, and more, underlining innovation as a driving force for resilience, competitiveness, and real-world transformation across the global transport sector.

For the first time, Global Rail 2025 will also host a Youth Hackathon in collaboration with universities across the emirates, engaging students in real-world mobility challenges under industry mentorship.

The event will conclude with a major announcement and investment designed to further cement the UAE's role at the global forefront of mobility, ensuring momentum continues beyond Abu Dhabi.

Global Rail 2025 reinforces the UAE's position as a global strategic juncture for transport innovation and infrastructure development, building on Etihad Rail's progress in delivering one of the region's most ambitious mobility projects. As a platform shaped by real-world impact and international ambition, the event will bring together the world's foremost decision-makers to shape the future of mobility. Further programme updates and speaker announcements will be shared in the lead-up to the event.

Sponsors:

 Hosted by

• Etihad Rail

Supported by

• Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure

Partners

• Abu Dhabi Investment Office

• ADT (Abu Dhabi Transport)

• Abu Dhabi Projects and Infrastructure Centre (ADPIC)

Finance and Investment Leader

• First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB)

Associate Strategic Conference Sponsors

• Alstom

• Khatib & Alami

• Hill International Inc.

Associate Technical Conference Sponsor

• Jacobs

Lanyard Sponsor

• Emirates NBD

Networking Break Sponsor

• United Trans

Finance Roundtable Sponsor

• Dentons

Supporting Railways Association

• International Union of Railways (UIC)

Knowledge Partner

• McKinsey & Company

Cultural and Destination Partner

• Abu Dhabi Convention & Exhibition Bureau

Venue Partner

• ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi

Organised by

• dmg events

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