Dubai will have four stations linked to the Etihad Rail network. Two of the stations will serve the upcoming high-speed rail line between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. This was announced by the city’s roads authority has announced.
Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), shared the update during a press conference held to announce the inaugural RailX Dubai Conference and Exhibition on Monday.
Al Tayer stated that the national Etihad Rail project includes connection points within Dubai through two stations. This will tie the emirate into the wider UAE rail network.
Dubai to Open New Station on September 30
Also, this means there will be one more station other than Dubai’s Al Yalayis Station, Etihad Rail’s main passenger station in the emirate that is set to open on September 30. However, Al Tayer did not name the second station.
However, RTA’s Dubai Rail Network Map for 2032 shows the second station in Meydan.
Meanwhile, a second, separate initiative Etihad Rail is developing is the high-speed rail link between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. This project will also bring two stations to Dubai. One at Al Maktoum International Airport and another in Al Jaddaf, Al Tayer said.
Furthermore, RTA’s Dubai Rail Network Map for 2032 shows the high-speed rail running parallel to the Red Line, primarily on Al Khail Road.
Significance of the High-Speed Rail to UAE
High-speed rail represents the next evolution of mobility in the UAE.
Etihad Rail had stated it aims to deliver a transformative high-speed passenger service connecting Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The service would reshape how people move between the country’s two largest economic centres. Also, this project showcases railway infrastructure boom in the Middle East, with countries like Saudi Arabia also gearing up railway development.
Dubai-Abu Dhabi High-Speed to Reduce Travel Time to 30 Minutes
Operating on a separate fully electrified network, the service will reduce travel time between Abu Dhabi and Dubai to approximately 30 minutes, creating a new standard for speed, efficiency and national connectivity.
This represents a structural shift in how the UAE connects people, businesses and opportunity.
These national projects will be woven into Dubai’s own rail network, connecting with the Red, Green and Blue Metro lines, as well as future lines under discussion, including the proposed Gold Line, Al Tayer said.
Most of these lines are expected to interconnect through the new stations, creating links across different parts of the city.
Al Tayer said the integration is clearly laid out in the master plan, with the goal of a fully connected transport system linking cities across the UAE with Dubai. Etihad Rail, he added, plays a central role in that vision, with the RTA working closely with the company as part of a wider, complementary transport strategy.
Project Factsheet
Total Dubai Stations: 4 Stations (2 National Network + 2 High-Speed Line)
National Network Stations
- Al Yalayis Station (Main passenger station, opening Sept 30, 2026)
- Meydan Station (Indicated via RTA 2032 Master Map)
- High-Speed Network Stations
- Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC)
- Al Jaddaf
Abu Dhabi – Dubai Travel Time: 30 minutes (High-Speed Line)
Infrastructure Type: Fully electrified, separate high-speed line
Primary High-Speed Alignment: Running parallel to the Dubai Metro Red Line, primarily along Al Khail Road
Local Transport Integration: Direct connections with Dubai Metro Red, Green, and Blue Lines (and proposed Gold Line)
Key Stakeholders: Etihad Rail & Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA)
Strategic Objective
To establish a high-capacity, seamless mobility corridor between the UAE’s primary economic hubs, reducing intercity travel times, relieving highway traffic congestion, and unifying urban and national transit networks.
Project Team
Etihad Rail: Developer, owner, and operator of the UAE National Rail Network.
Roads and Transport Authority (RTA): Dubai’s transit authority coordinating urban integration, metro line interchanges, and station locations.
High-Speed Rail Line (Dubai and Abu Dhabi Packages)
- Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Consortium (Dubai Segment Lead): Main contractor for design and civil construction of the Dubai high-speed rail corridor.
- Partners: China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), Wade Adams.
- Designers: Egis (France), Surbana Jurong (Singapore).
National Projects Construction (NPC) Consortium (Abu Dhabi Segment Lead): Main contractor for design and civil construction on the Abu Dhabi section.
- Partners: Trojan Tunneling, Kalyon (Turkey), China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC).
- Designer: Jacobs (USA).
- Civil Engineering, Track Work & Construction (National Rail Network)
- China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) & SK Ecoplant (JV): Package A/Stage 2 civil engineering and track works.
- China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC): Civil engineering and main packages.
- Ghantoot Transport and General Contracting: Package C construction works.
Systems, Signaling, Technology and Rolling Stock
- Hitachi Rail / Hitachi Rail STS: ETCS Level 2 signaling, telecom systems, and Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) technology integration.
- Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF): Passenger push-pull trainsets supplier.
- CRRC Corporation: Passenger trainsets and freight wagons.
- Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD / Progress Rail): Heavy-haul locomotives supply.
Thales: Smart station operations, control systems, and ticketing solutions.
Keolis: Strategic partner for passenger rail operational management.
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