Latest: Etihad Rail's Abu Dhabi-Dubai train 'could lead to GCC-wide network'
The UAE's rail project will expand to include passenger train services running across the country, the UAE's leaders said on Sunday in a major announcement.
Etihad Rail's network will grow from running heavy goods services to carry millions of passengers between its major cities by 2030, the government said.
The project – worth an estimated Dh200 billion to the economy – will allow "passengers to travel from Abu Dhabi to Dubai in 50 minutes, and from Abu Dhabi to Fujairah in 100 minutes", a statement read.
"Etihad Rail is the largest project to consolidate the strength of the union for the next 50 years. It will connect 11 key cities and regions across the UAE," said Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.
"The project comes in line with the environmental policy of the UAE and it will reduce carbon emissions by 70-80 per cent".
At a briefing at Expo 2020 Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, reviewed progress on the expanding rail network and its impact on the local economy.
Officials did not give a start date for the first passenger services but said "by 2030, the number of passengers is expected to reach more than 36.5 million annually".
"The National Railways Programme reflects the true meaning of integration into our national economic system, as we see the largest partnership between government entities at the federal and local levels," The Crown Prince said.
"It comes to support a national vision to connect the country’s key centres of industry and production, open new trade routes and facilitate population movement, creating the most developed work and life environment in the region.”
The first phase of Etihad Rail, completed in 2016, is largely used to move industrial products such as sulphur between key ports, taking thousands of heavy vehicles off the roads.
New passenger services will run faster at about 200 kilometres per hour, the statement read. Stations will stretch from Sila near the Saudi Arabian border to Fujairah on the east coast.
“Today, I witnessed with my brother Mohamed bin Zayed the [progress] of Etihad Rail,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said on Twitter.
The Dh50bn ($13.6bn) spent on the project is expected to contribute about Dh200bn to the economy.
“The Etihad Rail project represents the spirit of the union because it links the Emirates cities and ports with one economic artery," he said.
“It is a project with which we are proud to enter the new 50 years in the UAE. What will come next is more beautiful and greater.”
On November 21, Etihad Rail said it had completed excavation work on nine tunnels over nearly 7km, which involved blasting through sections of the Hajar mountain range on the east coast.
Once completed, the network will measure about 1,200km, connecting Shah and Habshan to Ruwais, and link the UAE to Saudi Arabia.
Phase one is complete and operating along a 264km route from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais, transporting sulphur.
Phase two links the UAE and Saudi Arabia from Fujairah Port to Ghuweifat, through Mussaffah, Khalifa Port and Jebel Ali Port. The two phases together will support more than 9,000 jobs, many of them UAE nationals.
Once fully operational, the fleet of trains and wagons will replace 5,600 daily road trips by lorries.
A fully loaded train emits up to 80 per cent less carbon dioxide than lorries transporting the same tonnage.
Video: Onboard Etihad Rail's track testing train
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The specs: Rolls-Royce Cullinan
Price, base: Dh1 million (estimate)
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 563hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 850Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 15L / 100km
The specs: Aston Martin DB11 V8 vs Ferrari GTC4Lusso T
Price, base: Dh840,000; Dh120,000
Engine: 4.0L V8 twin-turbo; 3.9L V8 turbo
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic; seven-speed automatic
Power: 509hp @ 6,000rpm; 601hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 695Nm @ 2,000rpm; 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.9L / 100km; 11.6L / 100km
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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