Etihad Rail trials Abu Dhabi-Saudi passenger train amid travel disruptions

As regional conflict disrupts air travel across the Gulf, Etihad Rail has completed its first-ever passenger train trial, transporting more than 350 Emiratis and UAE residents back into the country. The trial route ran from the Saudi border at Al Ghuwaifat to Al Faya in Abu Dhabi, marking the rail network’s first activation of passenger operations.

 

Conducted in coordination with the Abu Dhabi Emergencies, Crises and Disasters Management Centre (ADCMC), the operation took place ahead of the network’s scheduled launch later this year as part of national efforts to "strengthen preparedness" and "improve response efficiency". 

 

Mohammed Al Shehhi, Chief Projects Officer at Etihad Rail, said the operation “demonstrates the readiness and flexibility of the UAE’s national railway network”, which is designed to ensure the continuity of vital services in all circumstances. He added: “We are proud to support the joint response efforts led by the relevant authorities, providing safe, reliable, and well-organised transport solutions at a time when the continuity of the national transport ecosystem is crucial.”

 

Authorities described the trial as part of a broader contingency framework to move residents and visitors safely within national borders and beyond, should circumstances demand.

 

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The trial comes as thousands of tourists remain stranded across the UAE and wider GCC after Iran launched strikes across the region on 28 February, closing airspace and grounding travellers. Gulf airspace is gradually reopening, with limited flights resuming from 2 March. 

 

UAE authorities have outlined a phased evacuation schedule to fly home more than 44,000 passengers via national carriers. Sixty flights carrying 17,498 passengers operated between 1-3 March, with an additional 80 daily flights planned in the next phase to transport around 27,000 people.

 

The Al Ghuwaifat–Al Faya route carries strategic significance that extends well beyond the current emergency. Once fully operational, it will strengthen links between the UAE and Saudi, facilitating the flow of goods and passengers while offering a sustainable cross-border alternative to air travel.

 

The line is part of Etihad Rail’s nationwide network, which aims to connect 11 cities across the Emirates by 2030, with trains travelling at speeds of up to 200kph and carrying up to 400 passengers. Four stations have so far been revealed, one each in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Fujairah, with journeys between Abu Dhabi and Dubai forecast at 57 minutes and Abu Dhabi to Fujairah at 105 minutes.

 

Passenger numbers across the Etihad Rail network are expected to reach 36 million by 2030.

 

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