Day one of the Global Rail conference at Adnec in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
Day one of the Global Rail conference at Adnec in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
Day one of the Global Rail conference at Adnec in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
Day one of the Global Rail conference at Adnec in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National


How resurgent rail could change the Gulf


  • English
  • Arabic

October 02, 2025

Rail has always held an allure for the Middle East. Construction of the Hejaz railway, which once connected Damascus to Madinah, began in 1900, on the orders of the Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid II. The line reduced the journey between the two cities, which used to take 40 days by camel caravan, to about 72 hours. However, the First World War, sabotage during the Arab Revolt and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire brought the railway to a shuddering halt.

Fast-forward to the present day, and rail, resurgent in parts of the Middle East, again has the potential to change how thousands of people live their daily lives. This week’s three-day Global Rail conference in Abu Dhabi, a gathering of thousands of visitors and hundreds of companies from around the world, has shown how far the UAE, in particular, has travelled since 2009, when the concept of a national rail network linking key ports and cities began to take shape.

Etihad Rail's passenger service is on track to begin next year. Construction is advancing on four stations at Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Fujairah, and passenger test trains have been seen on the line over the past 12 months. Meanwhile, it was announced this week that Abu Dhabi will soon introduce a tram network that will operate from Yas Island and connect to Zayed International Airport. The Global Rail event also included a Dh1 million ($272,250) innovation grant for solutions to transform the future of transport.

All this is much more than a domestic project; the Emirates’ rail ambitions also connect with those of its neighbours. Work on Hafeet Rail – a joint passenger and freight railway network connecting the UAE and Oman – continues to advance. Meanwhile, across the Gulf, more rail links are in the works. All six GCC member states are at various levels of progress on a 2,000km, region-wide railway project due to be completed in 2030. Even the Hejaz railway could make a comeback after Turkey, Syria and Jordan recently agreed on a draft memorandum to restore the line.

A fully developed rail network for logistics, cargo and people was always going to be a national priority for the UAE. The Emirates already has first-class road and air networks, and many of its airlines regularly feature highly in international carrier rankings. But it is rail’s potential to serve a rapidly growing population that makes these latest developments stand out.

Having reliable, sustainable and first-class passenger rail services will contribute to the country’s public transport mix, cut road traffic and reduce emissions. Both Etihad Rail and the Abu Dhabi Light Rail Project are being designed with connectivity in mind, enabling passengers to link up with Dubai Metro services and bus networks. The Abu Dhabi tram will ferry passengers to and from the capital’s main airport.

Even the Hejaz railway could make a comeback – Turkey, Syria and Jordan recently agreed on a draft memorandum to restore the line

And it’s important to make public transport a realistic option for everyone. Speaking to The National this week, Azza Al Suwaidi, deputy chief executive at Etihad Rail Mobility, said the pressure to deliver was high, but it was important for the service to be “safe, reliable, punctual and sustainable”. “That's the passenger experience that we would like to embark on,” she added.

That Etihad Rail is prioritising a good customer experience is indicative of it trying to appeal to as many people as possible, not only taking more cars off the road but also embedding the idea of public transport in the public’s mind and forging the future of urban development and connectivity.

Men’s singles 
Group A:
Son Wan-ho (Kor), Lee Chong Wei (Mas), Ng Long Angus (HK), Chen Long (Chn)
Group B: Kidambi Srikanth (Ind), Shi Yugi (Chn), Chou Tien Chen (Tpe), Viktor Axelsen (Den)

Women’s Singles 
Group A:
Akane Yamaguchi (Jpn), Pusarla Sindhu (Ind), Sayaka Sato (Jpn), He Bingjiao (Chn)
Group B: Tai Tzu Ying (Tpe), Sung Hi-hyun (Kor), Ratchanok Intanon (Tha), Chen Yufei (Chn)

RACE CARD

5pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Purebred Arabian Cup Conditions (PA); Dh 200,000 (Turf) 1,600m
5.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Cup Conditions (PA); Dh 200,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Cup Listed (TB); Dh 380,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Group 3 (PA); Dh 500,000 (T) 1,600m
7pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Jewel Crown Group 1 (PA); Dh 5,000,000 (T) 2,200m
7.30pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Handicap (PA); Dh 150,000 (T) 1,400m
8pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 (T); 1,400m

Five hymns the crowds can join in

Papal Mass will begin at 10.30am at the Zayed Sports City Stadium on Tuesday

Some 17 hymns will be sung by a 120-strong UAE choir

Five hymns will be rehearsed with crowds on Tuesday morning before the Pope arrives at stadium

‘Christ be our Light’ as the entrance song

‘All that I am’ for the offertory or during the symbolic offering of gifts at the altar

‘Make me a Channel of your Peace’ and ‘Soul of my Saviour’ for the communion

‘Tell out my Soul’ as the final hymn after the blessings from the Pope

The choir will also sing the hymn ‘Legions of Heaven’ in Arabic as ‘Assakiroo Sama’

There are 15 Arabic speakers from Syria, Lebanon and Jordan in the choir that comprises residents from the Philippines, India, France, Italy, America, Netherlands, Armenia and Indonesia

The choir will be accompanied by a brass ensemble and an organ

They will practice for the first time at the stadium on the eve of the public mass on Monday evening 

RESULTS

5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m, Winner SS Lamea, Saif Al Balushi (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer).

5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,400m, Winner AF Makerah, Sean Kirrane, Ernst Oertel

6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m, Winner Maaly Al Reef, Brett Doyle, Abdallah Al Hammadi

6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh90,000 1,600m, Winner AF Momtaz, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi

7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 2,200m, Winner Morjanah Al Reef, Brett Doyle, Abdallah Al Hammadi

7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 2,200m, Winner Mudarrab, Jim Crowley, Erwan Charpy

Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.

Based: Riyadh

Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany

Founded: September, 2020

Number of employees: 70

Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions

Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds  

Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices

Updated: October 02, 2025, 6:41 AM