A high-speed passenger train service to be introduced between Abu Dhabi and Dubai will be a game-changer for daily commuters, cutting travel time to 30 minutes, while significantly reducing carbon emissions.
According to experts, one train under Etihad Rail's project could eliminate millions of tonnes of emissions caused by drivers each year.
While the stock of train has yet to be announced, Antonios Vouloudis, senior director of sustainability and stewardship at New York University Abu Dhabi, told The National that it is estimated that a fully occupied eight-carriage train can replace more than 700 cars on the roads.
“This demonstrates the potential for Abu Dhabi’s high-speed rail initiative to significantly decrease car usage and lower transportation-related emissions,” he added.
On Thursday, Abu Dhabi Media Office said the trains would run up to 350kph on a route that will pass through “key destinations and tourist attractions”. Trips between the emirates typically take at least one hour by car and longer by bus.
The new electrified line will feature six stations at Reem Island, Yas Island, Saadiyat Island, Zayed Airport, close to Al Maktoum Airport in Dubai and Jaddaf, near Dubai Creek, Etihad Rail said.
Shortening daily commutes
Ahmed Huzayen, a Jordanian living in Dubailand, drives for nearly four hours to and from Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi for work. He said the new rail link would be a “game-changer”.
Leaving home at 7am to ensure he arrives on time for his job, he returns as late as 8pm, leaving little time to spend with his three children during the week.
“I leave the office at 6pm and reach home around 8pm. With the train, I could be home by 7pm, giving me almost an hour to spend with my kids before they go to bed. That extra time would mean everything to me as a father,” he told The National.
Mr Huzayen, who is among thousands who make the trip between Abu Dhabi and Dubai daily, said the decision to take the train would eventually be determined by support services such as park-and-ride amenities at stations.
Paving way for more sustainable commuting habits
Experts say similar transportation initiatives have shifted commuter transport behaviours in other markets.
Dr Aseel Takshe, acting dean of the School of Health Sciences and Psychology at Canadian University Dubai, told The National that people often recognise the “potential economic and social benefits of high-speed rails, such as reduced congestion and improved regional connectivity”.
Alexander Kondrat, Middle East rail team lead at PwC, agreed, adding rail systems in Japan and Europe have “demonstrated the effectiveness of rail transport in mitigating carbon emissions”.
Japan's Shinkansen and Spain's AVE networks have also achieved emissions reductions of as much as 92 per cent compared to alternative modes of transportation, said Yury Kornitsky, Middle East and Africa principal at Kearney Advanced Mobility Institute.
Planes, trains and automobiles – which has the lowest carbon footprint?
According to the UN, the global transportation sector contributes about a quarter of all energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. However, not all transport sectors contribute equally and can be measured by the emissions per passenger per kilometre travelled.
Citing studies in the UK, Mr Vouloudis said domestic air travel produces about 246 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per passenger-kilometre, while diesel and petrol cars emit about 170 grams. In contrast, Eurostar trains emit only 4 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per passenger-kilometre. This represents a reduction of more than 97 per cent in emissions when switching to train travel.
“While these figures may vary by country, Abu Dhabi’s high-speed rail is expected to achieve a similar dramatic reduction in carbon emissions, supporting the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 target,” said Mr Vouloudis.
PwC highlighted that estimates show that by enabling a shift from road-based freight and passenger transport to an advanced rail network, plans by Etihad Rail the could cut road transport emissions by 21 per cent annually by 2050.
While the energy source for the electric trains on the new rail line has yet to be confirmed – Mr Kornitsky said such high-speed rail systems typically rely on electricity from overhead lines or third rails, often powered by renewable energy, and use regenerative braking to feed energy back into the grid.
“Additionally, streamlined designs minimise air resistance, and a single train can replace hundreds of car journeys, significantly reducing congestion and emissions.”
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Fly Etihad or Emirates from the UAE to Moscow from 2,763 return per person return including taxes.
Where to stay
Trips on the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian cost from US$16,995 (Dh62,414) per person, based on two sharing.
Ain Issa camp:
- Established in 2016
- Houses 13,309 people, 2,092 families, 62 per cent children
- Of the adult population, 49 per cent men, 51 per cent women (not including foreigners annexe)
- Most from Deir Ezzor and Raqqa
- 950 foreigners linked to ISIS and their families
- NGO Blumont runs camp management for the UN
- One of the nine official (UN recognised) camps in the region
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
if you go
The flights
Flydubai offers three daily direct flights to Sarajevo and, from June, a daily flight from Thessaloniki from Dubai. A return flight costs from Dhs1,905 including taxes.
The trip
The Travel Scientists are the organisers of the Balkan Ride and several other rallies around the world. The 2018 running of this particular adventure will take place from August 3-11, once again starting in Sarajevo and ending a week later in Thessaloniki. If you’re driving your own vehicle, then entry start from €880 (Dhs 3,900) per person including all accommodation along the route. Contact the Travel Scientists if you wish to hire one of their vehicles.
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
Pad Man
Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Three-and-a-half stars
HOW TO WATCH
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Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Director: Romany Saad
Starring: Mirfat Amin, Boumi Fouad and Tariq Al Ibyari
Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
MATCH INFO
Liverpool 0
Stoke City 0
Man of the Match: Erik Pieters (Stoke)
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Saturday (All UAE kick-off times)
Valencia v Atletico Madrid (midnight)
Mallorca v Alaves (4pm)
Barcelona v Getafe (7pm)
Villarreal v Levante (9.30pm)
Sunday
Granada v Real Volladolid (midnight)
Sevilla v Espanyol (3pm)
Leganes v Real Betis (5pm)
Eibar v Real Sociedad (7pm)
Athletic Bilbao v Osasuna (9.30pm)
Monday
Real Madrid v Celta Vigo (midnight)
AL%20BOOM
%3Cp%20style%3D%22text-align%3Ajustify%3B%22%3E%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3BDirector%3AAssad%20Al%20Waslati%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%20style%3D%22text-align%3Ajustify%3B%22%3E%0DStarring%3A%20Omar%20Al%20Mulla%2C%20Badr%20Hakami%20and%20Rehab%20Al%20Attar%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EStreaming%20on%3A%20ADtv%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
The 10 Questions
- Is there a God?
- How did it all begin?
- What is inside a black hole?
- Can we predict the future?
- Is time travel possible?
- Will we survive on Earth?
- Is there other intelligent life in the universe?
- Should we colonise space?
- Will artificial intelligence outsmart us?
- How do we shape the future?
