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Etihad Rail rolls into towns: 'Train runs behind my house', residents say
The network will make people more aware of the beauty and serenity of her small town and bring in more tourists to the western region of the UAE, said one resident
- PUBLISHED: Tue 5 Aug 2025, 5:33 PM
- By:
- Hind Aldah
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As Etihad Rail expands through towns like Sakamkam, Al Sila, and Ruwais, residents are embracing the project with optimism. Residents believe the railway will not only make travel more accessible and affordable, but also bring a much-needed boost to tourism and the local economy.
Fujairah resident Reem Al Yammahi lives in Sakamkam, which is one of the locations where a train station is confirmed to be. The railway track runs right behind her house, which will be a bonus for her, she said, because she likes to visit Abu Dhabi a lot, but the two-hour drive gets tiring.
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“As a busy student, I would like to read some articles or do a quick study session, or anything other than driving in those two hours. With the railway, it would probably be even less than two hours."
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She added that the Etihad Rail running by her town would be “a great way to boost the economy. I feel like it will make it easier for tourists to navigate the entire UAE because it connects main cities, and it will lessen the cost of traveling from one emirate to another.” The railway track runs through the entire country, from Fujairah Port in the east, which overlooks the Gulf of Oman, and ending at Ghuweifat in the far west of Abu Dhabi.
“I'm so excited about the project overall. I feel like it will connect everyone in the Emirates. And it's so environment-friendly,” Al Yammahi said. The project is a part of the UAE Railway Programme which aims to develop a sustainable road transport system and reduce 70 to 80 per cent of carbon emissions.
Noura Almansoori, a resident in Al Sila, a city in the western-most region of Abu Dhabi, close to the border of Saudi Arabia, said she feels “happy” about the Etihad Rail passing through her hometown, as it currently “feels very disconnected from the UAE.” Al Sila is a town with a population of a little over 10,500, according to the Abu Dhabi Census of 2024. “The rails might make the town people feel more connected to the other cities, including me,” she said.
Almansoori said she believes the Etihad Rail will make people more aware of her small town and bring in more tourists to the western region of the UAE, “to discover the beauty and serenity of my town,” she added.
“I imagine it being very lively and fun instead it of being very dull. I imagine younger people would like to visit,” she said when asked about the train’s impact on her town. “I imagine the town people getting their [needs] easily and becoming more connected with other parts of the country.”
Hind Aldah covers business, tech, crypto and all that jazz for a younger audience. In her spare time, you will find her playing classical guitar, painting amateur oil paintings, or crocheting the same old scarf that leads nowhere.
