ABU DHABI: It’s 7:13am on a sultry June morning and a passenger train pulls into the station in Abu Dhabi, oil-rich capital of the United Arab Emirates. An unremarkable scene in many cities but here, the first of its kind.

The UAE’s inaugural passenger service, from sleepy Fujairah, carried enthusiastic travellers who watched Thursday’s sun rise as they sped across the desert, relaxing on brand-new upholstery.

“We got to see landscapes you do not usually see from the road, some things you don’t really see from the road trips and cars,” said Gunjan Chaurasia, 42, who drove more than 100 kilometres (60 miles) from Dubai to Fujairah to be among the first passengers.

In a country whose flashy infrastructure includes the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, and the busiest airport by international traffic in Dubai, the slow arrival of passenger trains is a curiosity.

The UAE has well-advanced plans to launch flying taxis and Dubai, its commercial hub, is working with Elon Musk’s Boring Company to build Dubai Loop, a high-speed underground transport network.

Yet the humble passenger train remains unusual in the Gulf. The UAE’s Etihad Rail is just the second intercity service in the wealthy region, after Saudi Arabia. A rail network linking the Gulf countries was announced nearly 20 years ago. But in a region whose royal rulers do not always rub along, it has yet to become reality.

Rawdha, from Fujairah, which has a port and small beach resorts on the UAE’s eastern Gulf of Oman coast, was excited by the possibilities of the UAE’s Etihad Rail. “For us in Fujairah, the journey used to be very long,” she said after the 1hr 40min journey. The trip takes about an hour longer by car.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2026