In an impressive ceremony today, one of the largest projects in the history of the UAE was launched. This is the "Etihad" railway project that is supposed to connect the country's main cities by rail. Given the importance of the project, de facto ruler Muhammad bin Zayed and Amir Dubai participated in the ceremony.

The main attraction of the project is of course the line between the two main cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai in a journey that will take about 50 minutes. According to the heads of state, the railway project is part of the efforts to reduce carbon emissions. Although no detailed timetable was given for the project, it was announced today at the ceremony that in 2030 about 36.5 million passengers will travel on the train.

The investment in the project is estimated at about $13.5 billion, with the contribution to the country's economy estimated at four times that amount.