As flights remained suspended due to ongoing regional developments, UAE authorities operated a special Etihad Rail passenger service, transporting more than 350 people ahead of its official launch.

The exceptional run operated between Al Ghuwaifat Station on the Saudi border and Al Faya Station in Abu Dhabi, and was carried out by Etihad Rail in coordination with and under the direct supervision of the Emergencies, Crises and Disasters Management Centre Abu Dhabi (ADCMC).

In a video posted by the Abu Dhabi Government Media Office, passengers are seen being greeted with flowers as they arrive at their destination.

“We thank all the staff who gave us the opportunity to return from Jeddah to the UAE safely and easily under these conditions,” a passenger is heard saying in the video.

A person identified as a family member of a passenger said the authorities “took care of our families since the crisis began and stayed in touch with them.”

Mohammed Al Shehhi, Chief Projects Officer at Etihad Rail, said the authorities have scheduled a “number of additional services.”

“Operations will continue as required, in close coordination with the competent authorities, until air traffic resumes and flights return to their regular schedules.”

The special run demonstrates the “technical and operational readiness of the national railway network” and the flexibility of its operating systems, he added.

Etihad Rail said the service was delivered through a “structured and carefully managed mechanism”, with safety protocols and emergency plans ensuring smooth and secure operations. Freight operations continued as scheduled across the national railway network.

Matar Saeed Al Nuaimi, Director General of the ADCMC, said: “The operation of the passenger service prior to its official launch demonstrates a high degree of institutional flexibility, based on the effective redeployment of available capabilities to address societal priorities, without compromising long-term operational plans or the UAE’s logistical security. It confirms the national ecosystem’s capacity to take timely and well-considered operational decisions, grounded in real-time risk assessments in light of current circumstances.”

Earlier, authorities described the link between Al Ghuwaifat and Al Faya stations as “strategically significant”, as it enhances connectivity between the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Etihad Rail is the developer and operator of the UAE’s National Rail Network. The 900km network connects key cities, ports and industrial hubs from Ghuwaifat to Fujairah on the eastern coast. It is on track to operate the UAE’s national passenger rail network later this year.

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