Published on: 2026-07-01
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –
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Abu Dhabi, July 1 /Xinhua/ — The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday launched a trial operation of its first passenger railway, Etihad Rail, marking the start of the implementation of the long-planned project to create the country’s national passenger railway network. Several Chinese companies participated in the construction of this project.
According to Etihad Rail, the first section of the railway connects the capital Abu Dhabi with the eastern emirate of Fujairah, and the journey takes approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes.
The opening of stations in Dubai and Al-Daida is scheduled for September 30, and the Al-Dafra stations for December. The construction of the entire line will be completed with the opening of the station in Sharjah in March 2027.
The Etihad Rail passenger network, one of the largest infrastructure projects in the UAE in recent years, will ultimately connect 11 cities and regions across all seven emirates through 11 stations. It is forecasted that, upon full operation by 2030, the passenger traffic will reach 36 million people.
The fleet for the line will consist of 13 trains, each of which can accommodate up to 400 passengers.
China’s Ambassador to the UAE, Zeng Jising, said that the Etihad Rail project is a landmark achievement of high-quality cooperation between China and the UAE under the “Belt and Road” initiative and reflects the growing practical cooperation between the two countries within their comprehensive strategic partnership.
Chinese companies participated in the project, including China Railway International Group Co., Ltd. /CRIG/, CRRC Corporation Ltd., Power Construction Corporation of China, and China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation.
“The project demonstrates the capabilities of Chinese companies in engineering design, construction, safety control, and sustainable development,” said Yu Hao, the project director at CRIG, adding that the railway will contribute to the development of the UAE’s railway network and in the future will improve railway communication throughout the Persian Gulf region. –0–
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