14 September 2026
Etihad Rail opens its first passenger station in Dubai on 30 September 2026. Dubai Al Yalayis Station, in Me’aisem First next to Jumeirah Golf Estates, will put Abu Dhabi 57 minutes away by train, against up to an hour and a half by car, and it is joined to the Dubai Metro Red Line by a 400 metre elevated pedestrian walkway leading to Jumeirah Golf Estates Metro Station. It opens on the same day as Al Dhaid Station in Sharjah, the second phase of the national passenger network after the Abu Dhabi to Fujairah route started on 30 June 2026. Ticket prices for the Dubai route and the number of services a day have not been published yet.
What opens on 30 September 2026
Reporters who visited the site on 14 September 2026 found construction teams applying finishing touches to roads and landscaping and completing the station footbridge. The confirmed details:
- Station. Dubai Al Yalayis Station, the first Etihad Rail passenger station in Dubai, in Me’aisem First beside Jumeirah Golf Estates.
- Date. 30 September 2026, the same day as Al Dhaid Station, the first rail connection for Sharjah.
- Journey time. 57 minutes to Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed City Station.
- Metro link. A 400 metre elevated pedestrian walkway to Jumeirah Golf Estates Metro Station on the Red Line.
- Roads. The station sits on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road and is reached by the E311, E44 and D57.
- Not announced yet. Ticket prices on the Dubai route and the number of journeys a day.
Where the station sits on the Dubai transport map
Dubai Al Yalayis Station stands directly opposite Jumeirah Golf Estates Metro Station, so a passenger arriving from Abu Dhabi can walk across the elevated bridge and continue on the Red Line without leaving the transport system. When the Gold Line opens in 2032, the same stop becomes an interchange between two metro lines, which is why the district is already being described as a transport hub for southern Dubai rather than a single station.
The catchment is wider than Jumeirah Golf Estates itself. Within reach of the station are Al Furjan, Dubai Investment Park, Green Community, Dubai Production City, Expo City Dubai and Dubai South. Al Maktoum International Airport, whose first expansion phase opens in 2032, is less than 10 km away. The same rail corridor continues to Port Jebel Ali, where Etihad Rail has run freight services since 2023.
The direction of travel is set out in the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, which targets 55% of the city population living within 800 metres of a major public transport station by 2040. We have covered how that target is reshaping specific districts in our note on Dubai Metro and Etihad Rail growth areas.
57 minutes to Abu Dhabi, and what the first route already shows
The journey from Dubai Al Yalayis to Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed City Station is timed at 57 minutes. Driving the same corridor can take up to an hour and a half, and the gap is what makes a day trip between the two emirates a normal working option rather than a half day lost to the road.
The first passenger route, Abu Dhabi to Fujairah, opened on 30 June 2026 with a scheduled journey time of 1 hour and 45 minutes. Etihad Rail has since reported more than 70,000 tickets sold on that route, with passengers booking on average 12 days in advance. We looked at the first month of operations in our review of Etihad Rail after its first month on the Fujairah line.
Transport specialists quoted by The National expect the Dubai station to increase commuting between emirates, with the scale of the effect depending on first and last mile connectivity, in other words on how easily a passenger reaches the station and leaves it at the other end. On that measure the direct metro walkway is the single most important feature of the Dubai stop.
Fares published on the network so far
Pricing for the Dubai route has not been released. The fares already published for the passenger network give the current reference points.
| Item | Published figure |
|---|---|
| Introductory fare, Comfort Class | From AED 55 |
| Introductory fare, Premium Class | From AED 120 |
| Level versus standard adult fares | About 50% lower |
| Children aged 2 to 17 | 50% discount on regular fares |
| Passengers aged 60 and above | 20% discount |
| Infants under 2 | Free when accompanied by an adult |
| Booking channels | Etihad Rail mobile app and etihadrail.ae |
The rest of the network and its dates
The passenger network is planned at about 900 km and will link 11 cities and regions, from Al Sila in the west to Fujairah in the east. The published opening schedule:
| Station | Emirate or region | Opening date |
|---|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed City to Fujairah | Abu Dhabi, Fujairah | Open since 30 June 2026 |
| Dubai Al Yalayis | Dubai | 30 September 2026 |
| Al Dhaid | Sharjah | 30 September 2026 |
| Madinat Zayed and Liwa | Al Dhafra | 30 November 2026, brought forward from 30 December |
| Al Sila, Al Dhannah, Mirfa | Al Dhafra | 30 December 2026 |
| University City | Sharjah | 30 March 2027 |
What the station changes for business in southern Dubai
The practical effect starts on 30 September and is simple to plan around: a meeting in Abu Dhabi becomes a 57 minute ride instead of a drive, and staff who live in one emirate can work in the other without a car. For employers in Dubai South, Dubai Investment Park and Jebel Ali, that widens the hiring radius at no extra cost to the company.
The second effect is on property, and here the timeline is longer. Real estate specialists quoted by The National expect values in the Dubai South area to rise over the next three to five years, and point to rental demand around Dubai Investments Park and Jumeirah Golf Estates as the first thing to move. Land nearby is earmarked for the Jumeirah Golf Estates project by Wasl Properties covering 4.68 million square metres and planned for more than 50,000 residents, built around the station as a transit oriented district. RTA has separately estimated that a new station can lift land values in the surrounding area by 15 to 30%, a figure we set out in our report on the expansion of Dubai Metro to 162 km. None of these numbers is a forecast for a specific plot, and buyers who plan to finance a purchase should start from the lending rules rather than the map, which we cover in our guide to a mortgage in the UAE for residents and non residents.
How Atlant Capital can help
Transport openings change where it makes sense to place an office, a warehouse or staff accommodation, and those decisions run through licensing and visas. Atlant Capital works with the practical side of that in the UAE.
- Choosing a free zone or mainland structure for a company located in Dubai South, Jebel Ali or Dubai Investments Park, with the activity list matched to the real operation. Start with company setup in the UAE.
- Registering the company, obtaining the licence and the establishment card, and opening a corporate bank account.
- Residence visas for owners and staff, including medical testing and Emirates ID.
- Office and warehouse lease review, Ejari registration and the address requirements that follow from the licence.
- Support on financing a property purchase for residents and non residents.
The takeaway
From 30 September 2026 Dubai joins the national rail network through a single station in Me’aisem First, with Abu Dhabi 57 minutes away and the Red Line a 400 metre walk across the bridge. Two things are worth watching after the opening: the fare and timetable, which are still unpublished, and the rental market in the communities within a short drive of the station, where the effect of a new interchange usually shows up first.
Source: The National.
FAQ
When does the Etihad Rail station in Dubai open?
Dubai Al Yalayis Station opens on 30 September 2026. It is the first Etihad Rail passenger station in Dubai and opens on the same day as Al Dhaid Station in Sharjah. The national passenger service itself started earlier, on 30 June 2026, with the Abu Dhabi to Fujairah route.
How long is the train from Dubai to Abu Dhabi?
The journey from Dubai Al Yalayis Station to Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed City Station takes 57 minutes. Driving between the same points can take up to an hour and a half. Ticket prices and the number of services a day on this route have not been announced.
Where is Dubai Al Yalayis Station and how do you reach it?
The station is in Me’aisem First, next to Jumeirah Golf Estates in southern Dubai, on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, with access from the E311, E44 and D57. A 400 metre elevated pedestrian walkway connects it to Jumeirah Golf Estates Metro Station on the Red Line, and when the Gold Line opens in 2032 the stop becomes an interchange between two metro lines.
How much does an Etihad Rail ticket cost?
On the routes already running, introductory fares start from AED 55 in Comfort Class and AED 120 in Premium Class, about 50% below standard adult fares. Children aged 2 to 17 receive a 50% discount, passengers aged 60 and above receive 20%, and infants under 2 travel free with an adult. Tickets are sold through the Etihad Rail app and etihadrail.ae.
