A high-speed passenger rail service between Abu Dhabi and Dubai is set to become a reality, it was announced on Thursday.
Detailing the plans, Abu Dhabi Media Office said the new line from Etihad Rail would cut the journey time between the two emirates to 30 minutes.
Trains will run at up to 350kph on a route that will pass through "key destinations and tourist attractions".
The new high-speed electrified line will feature six stations at Reem Island, Yas Island, Saadiyat Island, Zayed Airport, close to Al Maktoum Airport in Dubai and Jaddaf, near Dubai Creek, Etihad Rail said.
Construction has yet to start and a date for the launch of services was not revealed but tenders for contracts have been issued and network designs approved, Etihad Rail said.
Thursday's announcement at Al Faya Depot in Abu Dhabi was witnessed by Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence.
The project reflects the nation's vision to advance national infrastructure and elevate mobility services to the highest standards, state news agency Wam reported Sheikh Khaled as saying. He added that the high-speed trains would bolster the UAE’s global competitiveness, support sustainable development and solidify the nation’s position as a global model for progress.
The project will transform the daily commute between Abu Dhabi and Dubai to enhance the lives of citizens, residents and tourists, Sheikh Hamdan said.
Sebastien Mangeant, executive director for high speed at Etihad Rail, told The National that people could expect a high-frequency service to enable commuters to reach their destination safer, faster and avoiding driving for long periods.
“This is really the main appeal of this and ... of course the safety of the rail, which you can't beat," he said. "And the support for tourism.”
Designs of the stations and their precise locations have yet to be revealed but more areas than those outlined on Thursday could be served. “It's not the end of the adventure,” said Mr Mangeant. “It's just a phase one."
He said a typical high-speed train can carry 400 passengers but this could go as high as 600 depending on the stock which has not yet been selected.
The high-speed project is separate from the previously announced Etihad Rail passenger service, in which trains will travel at 200kph carrying up to 400 passengers when the service is launched. That regular service also uses the same network as the UAE’s freight trains.
It has yet to be disclosed whether the high-speed line will be integrated with the regular Etihad Rail line, which will use diesel locomotives.
Mr Mangeant said the high-speed line is “not a stand-alone project in itself” and “you don't want to arrive in the middle of nowhere and then have no link”. While both can be integrated in certain ways, “they are different animals”.
“We don't know yet,” he said. “We're not announcing anything right now.” But he did say a considerable amount of work was being done to ensure passengers had a seamless experience. “We're taking care of this,” he added.
It has yet known how much fares will cost. Nor was a cost for the construction of the line disclosed – high-speed rail networks tend to be significantly more expensive than regular lines. However, they reduce travel times and also lead to less congestion and lower emissions.
Currently, the only way of travelling between the emirates is by car or bus.
“We're not announcing anything such as planning and cost right now,” Mr Mangeant said.
According to the International Railway Journal, the cost of high-speed lines in Europe designed for operation at 300kph or faster is estimated to be $25 million-$39 million per km and as high as $52 million per km in California. In other countries it can be more cost effective.
The project will also relieve pressure on busy UAE roads and has the potential to transform transport, commerce, tourism and even property prices across both emirates. Officials say the high-speed train is expected to contribute Dh145 billion ($40 billion) to the UAE's GDP in the next five decades.
First passenger stations
Also announced on Thursday were the first four passenger stations on the regular line to be built in the UAE, in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Fujairah. Two in Sharjah and Fujairah had already been announced.
The stations will integrate with Metro and bus lines, and be equipped with business-class lounges, shops and family-friendly amenities. A model of a station was on display at Al Faya Depot showing a distinctive concrete facade.
“This is the look and feel of the conventional stations," said Mr Mangeant. "The model is your typical station look and feel.”
Also on display was a new passenger train, which is expected to be one that carries people across the UAE when the regular service is launched.
Inside the feel is slick and sleek, with three classes including a separate business-class section. Walking through the train, Mr Mangeant was inspired by the scale of the project. “It's a dream come true," he said.
The network
The main Etihad Rail passenger network will link 11 cities and regions across the country. No date has been confirmed for when the UAE-wide passenger service will start.
Etihad Rail has previously announced travelling from Abu Dhabi to Dubai on the regular line will take 57 minutes, while a journey from the capital to Fujairah will take 105 minutes. Officials have said they expect more than 36 million people a year to be using the service by 2030.
Etihad Rail’s freight network is already up and running.
Trains to Oman
A railway connecting the UAE with Oman is also planned. Hafeet Rail, a joint venture between Etihad Rail, Oman Rail and Mubadala Investment Company, is developing the project.
The network will connect Sohar, via Sohar Port, to Abu Dhabi. Trains are estimated to take 1 hour 40 minutes from Abu Dhabi to Sohar, and only 47 minutes from Al Ain to Sohar.
A start date for this service has also yet to be announced.
The Etihad Rail network - in pictures
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Building boom turning to bust as Turkey's economy slows
Deep in a provincial region of northwestern Turkey, it looks like a mirage - hundreds of luxury houses built in neat rows, their pointed towers somewhere between French chateau and Disney castle.
Meant to provide luxurious accommodations for foreign buyers, the houses are however standing empty in what is anything but a fairytale for their investors.
The ambitious development has been hit by regional turmoil as well as the slump in the Turkish construction industry - a key sector - as the country's economy heads towards what could be a hard landing in an intensifying downturn.
After a long period of solid growth, Turkey's economy contracted 1.1 per cent in the third quarter, and many economists expect it will enter into recession this year.
The country has been hit by high inflation and a currency crisis in August. The lira lost 28 per cent of its value against the dollar in 2018 and markets are still unconvinced by the readiness of the government under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to tackle underlying economic issues.
The villas close to the town centre of Mudurnu in the Bolu region are intended to resemble European architecture and are part of the Sarot Group's Burj Al Babas project.
But the development of 732 villas and a shopping centre - which began in 2014 - is now in limbo as Sarot Group has sought bankruptcy protection.
It is one of hundreds of Turkish companies that have done so as they seek cover from creditors and to restructure their debts.
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Gender pay parity on track in the UAE
The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.
"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."
Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.
"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.
As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general.
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1. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 9,585 pts ( 1)
2. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 8,945 (-1)
3. Roger Federer (SUI) 6,190
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5. Dominic Thiem (AUT) 5,025
6. Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 4,000 ( 1)
7. Alexander Zverev (GER) 2,945 (-1)
8. Matteo Berrettini (ITA) 2,670 ( 1)
9. Roberto Bautista (ESP) 2,540 ( 1)
10. Gaël Monfils (FRA) 2,530 ( 3)
11. David Goffin (BEL) 2,335 ( 3)
12. Fabio Fognini (ITA) 2,290
13. Kei Nishikori (JPN) 2,180 (-2)
14. Diego Schwartzman (ARG) 2,125 ( 1)
15. Denis Shapovalov (CAN) 2,050 ( 13)
16. Stan Wawrinka (SUI) 2,000
17. Karen Khachanov (RUS) 1,840 (-9)
18. Alex De Minaur (AUS) 1,775
19. John Isner (USA) 1,770 (-2)
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Innotech Profile
Date started: 2013
Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size: 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
