For teenagers hoping to attend concerts in Dubai and workers looking to avoid long commutes, the countdown to departure has already begun.
For years, Mohammed bin Zayed City residents watched the massive Etihad Rail station take shape from the desert landscape outside their homes. Now, with the first passenger services set to launch on June 30, what was once a residential and industrial suburb on Abu Dhabi’s outskirts is about to become a gateway to a national rail network.
For residents living within walking distance of the new station, the biggest impact may not be faster journeys, but trips they previously did not make at all. For teenagers hoping to attend concerts and live matches in Dubai, workers looking to avoid long drives, and families eager to explore more of the country, the countdown to departure has already begun.
The first phase of Etihad Rail’s passenger service will connect Abu Dhabi and Fujairah, with tickets starting from Dh55 under a 50% introductory discount. Additional stations in Dubai and Al Dhaid are expected to open later this year, forming part of a wider network that will eventually link 11 cities and towns across the UAE.
For 16-year-old Palestinian resident Mohammed Arab, who lives just a one-minute walk from the station, the rail link represents a new sense of independence.
“I usually travel to Dubai and other emirates only during public holidays with my family,” he said. “Since I don’t drive yet and I was too young to travel alone anyway, this could change everything.” He added that he and his friends immediately began discussing the possibilities after learning how quickly trains would connect different parts of the country.
“If we are allowed to board the train alone, we can now go to matches and concerts in Dubai, so we can diversify our outings—not just hang out in Abu Dhabi all the time.” Having watched construction from his neighbourhood, he said he was surprised when he first learned about the planned inter-emirate travel times.
His mother, Dana Jawdat, an IT engineer, believes the station could raise the profile of the area.
“Of course, I am very excited,” she said. “It will make things easier for people.” While some residents have expressed concerns about increased traffic, Jawdat said authorities already appear to be putting arrangements in place. “This is a very good thing for the area. The area will become more important and more strategic,” she said.
She currently travels outside Abu Dhabi only occasionally despite having work meetings in Dubai. “Right now, I go maybe once a year,” she said. “If this is available, maybe I will go once a month.”
The excitement extends beyond residents to businesses near the station. Talaat Salah, an Egyptian expatriate working at Al Sultan Bakery, said the station is less than five minutes away on foot. He regularly visits friends in Dubai and Ajman and often relies on buses.
“Sometimes the journey takes two or three hours, depending on traffic,” he said. He believes the train will make spontaneous trips far more practical.
Asked whether he plans to ride soon after launch, Salah did not hesitate. “On my first day off, I will go straight away,” he said. “I’m excited to see the train, ride it and take a trip.”
The launch promotion also caught his attention, with the resident expressing delight at the introductory 50% discount being offered on fares.
Business owners are also hopeful that the station will bring new customers to Mohammed bin Zayed City. “Of course it will help,” Salah said. “More movement means more customers. We could see people coming from different emirates.”
Moroccan expatriate Hayet Dillan, who frequently travels to Dubai to visit family, said the train could become her preferred mode of transport. “It is better because the travel time will be much shorter going and coming back,” she said.
Dillan currently makes the trip two or three times a month by car but expects rail travel to make the journey easier and less stressful.
“It will help me 90%,” she said. Although she was unsure how much additional footfall nearby businesses would receive, she said the station’s arrival would undoubtedly improve mobility for many residents.
The public response reflects broader anticipation across the UAE, where residents have waited years for passenger rail services to become a reality.
