Etihad Rail to roll out a luxury train experience that pays homage to Emirati culture and heritage

The Italian luxury hospitality business Arsenale and Etihad Rail, the creator and operator of the UAE National Rail Network, have agreed to launch "a luxury train experience that pays homage to Emirati culture and heritage."

The opulent train will go through Mezeira, via the Liwa Desert, and past its well-known oasis as it makes its way towards the Omani border. Once the GCC Railway is running, it will be extended to the larger GCC. Following the recent announcement of The Dream of the Desert project in Saudi Arabia, this will be Arsenale's second international luxury train project.

At the two-day Middle East Rail Exhibition and Conference that just ended in Abu Dhabi, Etihad Rail signed a total of seven agreements "further to drive the development of its freight and passenger services." The deal was signed in the presence of Lorenzo Fanara, the Italian ambassador to the United Arab Emirates.

The train, which will have 15 opulent coaches, will go through the sophisticated cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai before stopping in the natural areas of Fujairah, which has cliff-like mountains that border Oman, and the Liwa desert, which is home to a renowned oasis and is close to Mezeirah railway station.

The manufacture, workmanship, onboard service standards, interior design, and know-how will be Italian.

At the 17th edition of Middle East Rail, Etihad Rail also signed six additional agreements, including the creation of a joint venture company with DHL Global Forwarding, a contract with integrated logistics provider MICCO, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Morocco's national railway operator ONCF, a partnership with global technology company Uber, a deal with drone cargo expert SkyGo, and a contract with the Fujairah Natural Resources Corporation (FNRC), a free-standing government.

The National Rail Network was inaugurated in February this year. It now links all emirates, connecting residential, industrial, and commercial centres with four key ports across the UAE.