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A country that never had a passenger train is about to launch a railway network connecting 7 emirates in less than 2 hours
The United Arab Emirates — a country built on sand, oil, and skyscrapers — has never had a passenger train in its entire history.
However, in 2026, this will change dramatically: Etihad Rail, the state railway company, will inaugurate the country’s first passenger train service.
Thus, a nation that less than a decade ago did not have a single meter of track for people will operate a 1,200 km network connecting 11 cities in all 7 emirates.
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Moreover, the journey between Abu Dhabi and Dubai — the two largest cities in the country — will take only 1 hour by train, compared to almost 2 hours by car in normal traffic.
Therefore, the Emirates are achieving in less than a decade what many countries — including Brazil — cannot achieve in half a century.
Built 900 km of tracks in the desert in 3 years — including sections where ground temperature reaches 60°C
According to Railway Technology, the Etihad Rail network was built in phases, with the 900 km expansion completed in February 2023.
Consequently, engineers had to face challenges that do not exist in any other railway project in the world: ground temperatures reaching 60°C, sandstorms covering tracks in minutes, and unstable sandy terrain requiring special foundations.
Additionally, construction required importing thousands of tons of ballast and base material from mountainous regions — because the flat desert does not offer natural stone for railway ballast.
Similarly, the tracks needed unique technical specifications to withstand extreme thermal expansion — steel expands significantly when the temperature varies 40°C or more between dawn and noon.
Still, the Emirates completed the project on time and within budget — something that rarely happens in railway projects around the world.
In this sense, building railways in the desert is, in many ways, more difficult than building in mountains — and the Emirates have proven it is possible.
The cost: $13.6 billion for just 256 km — and the entire project is part of a $100 billion Gulf plan
According to data from Saipem, one of the construction companies involved, the investment in just the 256 km section between Abu Dhabi and Dubai exceeded $13.6 billion, completed in March 2022.
On the other hand, Etihad Rail is part of a much broader railway program: the GCC Railway, which foresees investments of $100 billion to connect all six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council — Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman.
In fact, when the GCC Railway is complete, it will be possible to travel by train from Muscat (Oman) to Kuwait — a distance of almost 2,000 km that today can only be covered by road or plane.
Consequently, Etihad Rail is not just a national railway — it is the backbone of a regional network that can transform logistics across the Arabian Peninsula.
Above all, the investment per kilometer of Etihad Rail — $53 million/km on the Abu Dhabi–Dubai section — is significantly higher than the global average, reflecting the extra cost of building in the desert and the premium quality of the infrastructure.
Abu Dhabi to Dubai in 1 hour, Fujairah in 90 minutes: trains will travel at 200 km/h with capacity for 400 passengers
According to Gulf News, Etihad Rail passenger trains will run at up to 200 km/h, with a capacity for 400 passengers per train.
Additionally, each train will feature full Wi-Fi, individual outlets at all seats, and modern interior design — a standard comparable to the most advanced European trains.
The first passenger routes will connect Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Fujairah, with the main station in Dubai being built next to the Jumeirah Golf Estates Metro Station — integrating train, metro, and bus in a single hub.
Similarly, stations are being built in Sharjah (near University City), Fujairah (in the city center), and along the Abu Dhabi–Al Ain corridor.
As a result, for the first time in the history of the Emirates, it will be possible to wake up in Abu Dhabi, work in Dubai, and return home the same day — all by train, without traffic jams and without car dependency.
Likewise, the operation will be conducted by a joint venture between Etihad Rail and the French Keolis, one of the largest railway operators in the world.
The complete network: 1,200 km, 11 cities, 7 emirates — from the far west of Abu Dhabi to the east coast of Fujairah
The complete passenger network of Etihad Rail will have 1,200 km of tracks, connecting 11 cities and regions in all seven emirates of the country.
Consequently, the railway will extend from Al Sila, in the far west of Abu Dhabi (border with Saudi Arabia), to Fujairah, on the east coast facing the Indian Ocean.
However, the freight network has been operating since 2023, mainly transporting granulated sulfur from the Shah and Habshan gas fields to the port of Ruwais — reducing the number of trucks on highways by 70%.
Therefore, Etihad Rail has already proven its economic value even before transporting the first passenger.
Despite this, the real test will come when passenger trains start operating and Emiratis — accustomed to a car culture as intense as the American one — decide if they are willing to switch from car to train.
The lesson from the Emirates to the world: from zero to a complete railway network in less than a decade
The case of Etihad Rail is one of the most impressive examples of infrastructure planned and executed as a state project in recent history.
In fact, the Emirates had no railway tradition, no specialized rail engineers, and not even suitable land to build on — and yet they delivered 900 km in 3 years.
Moreover, the country treated the railway as an irrevocable national priority: guaranteed funding, strict schedule, hiring the best global companies, and phased execution with partial deliveries that generated immediate results.
The Emirates went from zero to a complete national railway in less time than Brazil takes to bid a single section of the FIOL and other Brazilian railways.
The question the Emirates answer is not “if” it is possible to build railways quickly — but why other countries, with more resources and more territory, cannot do the same.
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