The UAE has entered the age of inter-city rail travel. On 5 July 2026, Etihad Rail ran its first public passenger service between Fujairah and Abu Dhabi, completing the 303-kilometre journey in 1 hour 45 minutes. The trial phase, which sold 10,000 tickets in advance, is already being hailed by tourism chiefs as a catalyst for weekend ‘railcations’ that will spread visitor spending beyond Dubai. Trains, operating at up to 200 km/h, offer luggage racks, Wi-Fi and two classes of service in 400-seat carriages. Saeed Al Samahi, Director of Fujairah Tourism, said hotel occupancy is projected to rise 8–12 per cent this quarter as Emiratis and expatriates swap 3-hour car trips for a scenic rail alternative. For global mobility managers, the line opens new commuting patterns: staff living on the east coast can now reach government and energy sites in the capital before 8 a.m., reducing the need for weekday accommodation allowances. Logistics teams also expect the eventual freight component to ease road-haulage bottlenecks through the Hajar mountains, improving just-in-time delivery to seaports. Etihad Rail will eventually connect 11 cities across all seven emirates; passenger demand is forecast at 36 million a year by 2030, when extensions to Saudi Arabia and Oman could create a Gulf-wide rail belt. Consultants advising regional headquarters already recommend factoring rail into 2027 housing and relocation policies, as door-to-door times between Abu Dhabi and Dubai are set to fall below one hour in the next phase.
Source: Gulf News
