Families living near Dubai’s new Etihad Rail station say it is transforming daily life — from boosting property values to making weekend travel more convenient.
For the past several months, 7-year-old Nael has been watching the progress of the Etihad Rail station in Dubai from his apartment window in Al Furjan, alongside his parents, Jithin and Natasha.
Now, with less than a month to go before the station opens, Nael is excited about the prospect of taking the train all the way to Abu Dhabi, where his aunt lives.
“We’ve been keeping track of the progress from when they first started putting up the pillars and doing the trial runs, right up to the station finally opening so close to us very soon,” his mother Natasha said. “My sister stays in Abu Dhabi, and I visit her at least once in 2 weeks now. Now we are hopeful that we can take the train to go see my sister more often. Nael is looking forward to being greeted at the train station.”
The much-awaited Dubai station is set to open on September 30, and few are more excited than residents who live right at its “doorstep”.
Among them is Jumeirah Golf Estates resident Anjali Suman, who has called JGE home for the past eight years. When she first moved there, friends would often remark on how far she lived from the city.
“Now, we are literally at the centre of the most exciting projects in Dubai,” she said.
Muhammed Farooq has also been living in Jumeirah Golf Estates (JGE) for more than a year. Last week, while returning home by metro, he caught a glimpse of the bridge that will connect the metro station to Etihad Rail.
“I got really excited to see that the bridge is almost fully completed,” he said. “The only thing I could think of was travelling through the mountains and watching breathtaking scenes, like in Europe.”
Property prices tripled
Anjali, who works in real estate, said property prices in JGE have surged since she first moved there. At the time, a villa spanning 7,000sqm was priced at around Dh6 million. Today, a similar villa is selling for about Dh18 million.
“The prices in the area have tripled,” she said. “Easy access to the Red Line of Dubai Metro, Etihad Rail and the upcoming Golden Line are all great selling points. JGE is one of the most popular communities today.”
Natasha has seen a similar effect in Al Furjan. “We have kept an eye on property and rental prices here, and they are definitely on the rise compared to seven years ago, when we moved here,” she said. “With more people choosing areas with easy access to public transport, Furjan is very popular. Also, because it is so close to Abu Dhabi, we have a lot of families in the community who work in Abu Dhabi but live here. The train would be a huge relief for such people.”
More Airbnbs and serviced apartments
Beyond property values, Natasha has noticed another trend emerging in Al Furjan.
“There are a lot of Airbnbs and serviced apartments in this area now,” she said. “With the opening of Etihad Rail, we see these numbers going up. A lot of tourists and short-term visitors are bound to pick this area for convenience and access.”
Traffic and connectivity
While the new rail link is expected to improve connectivity, some residents are also concerned about a possible increase in traffic once Etihad Rail begins operations.
“Traffic around our area is something we are looking at with a bit of disappointment,” Natasha said. “We already see a lot of people opting for Al Furjan because of its metro connectivity and proximity to Abu Dhabi. I am pretty sure it will go up more once Etihad Rail opens.”
However, others believe the train could help ease the pressure on roads, particularly during holiday periods.
Muhammed recalled getting stuck in traffic while returning from Fujairah during this year’s Eid holidays. “I am looking forward to making that trip next holiday season in the comfort of the train,” he said.
For Anjali, improved inter-emirate connectivity is one of the biggest attractions.
“Whether we want to go to Sharjah, Fujairah or Abu Dhabi, the train services will offer a great alternative,” she said. “I see that as one of the biggest attractions of living in JGE — better connectivity all around.”
Natasha has seen a similar effect in Al Furjan. “We have kept an eye on property and rental prices here, and they are definitely on the rise compared to seven years ago, when we moved here,” she said. “With more people choosing areas close to public transport, Furjan is very popular. Also, because it is so close to Abu Dhabi, we have a lot of families in the community who work in Abu Dhabi but live here. The train would be a huge relief for such people.”
Beyond property values, Natasha has noticed another trend emerging in Al Furjan.
“There are a lot of Airbnbs and serviced apartments in this area now,” she said. “With the opening of Etihad Rail, we see these numbers going up. A lot of tourists and short-term visitors are bound to pick this area for convenience and access.”
While the new rail link is expected to improve connectivity, some residents are concerned about a possible increase in traffic once Etihad Rail opens.
“Traffic around our area is something we are looking at with a bit of disappointment,” Natasha said. “We already see a lot of people opting for Al Furjan because of its metro connectivity and proximity to Abu Dhabi. I am pretty sure it will go up more once Etihad Rail opens.”
However, others believe the train could offer some relief from road congestion, particularly during holiday periods.
Muhammed said he got stuck in traffic while returning from Fujairah during this year’s Eid holidays. “I am looking forward to making that trip the next holiday season in the comfort of the train,” he said.
For Anjali, improved inter-emirate connectivity is one of the key benefits she is looking forward to.
“Whether we want to go to Sharjah, Fujairah or Abu Dhabi, the train services will offer a great alternative,” she said. “I see that as one of the biggest attractions of living in JGE — better connectivity all around.”
