All aboard: The Orient Express is coming to the UAE on the Etihad Railway

Etihad Rail and Italian luxury hospitality company Arsenale signed an agreement on Tuesday, May 17 to bring a luxury train ride experience to the UAE.

The agreement was signed at the Abu Dhabi Middle East Rail conference this week. This comes ahead of the announcement that the Etihad Rail has officially completed 100 per cent of its network. 

In the presence of H.E Lorenzo Fanara, Ambassador of Italy to the UAE, #EtihadRail signed an MoU with Arsenale, an Italian luxury hospitality company, to establish a luxury train experience. pic.twitter.com/Gfjc8XanBe

— Etihad Rail (@Etihad_Rail) May 17, 2023

While the launch date has not been announced yet, the project has been labelled as a luxury “rail cruise.” The luxury train is expected to travel from Fujairah all the way down to the majestic Liwa Desert in Abu Dhabi, along the Etihad Rail.

It is expected that the train will have 15 luxury carriages and will be built in Puglia and Sicily, according to Arsenale, as quoted by The National.

There are more announcements to be made, however, this megaproject promises to contribute to the economic and social growth in the UAE, as well as boost tourism.

The Orient Express-style carriages will reflect Emirati heritage, and the production and craftsmanship will be expertly handled by Arsenale.

The ‘made-in-Italy’ signature branding will be the basis on which the entire project is being developed.

This means that while we aren’t entirely sure what to expect just yet but we can hope for an immaculate arabesque twist on the already gorgeous and chic style that the Orient Express exemplifies.

This will be the second international luxury train project in the region, as Saudi Arabia has a similar project – also undertaken by Arsenale. This announcement has been labelled the Dream of the Desert project. According to the interview, there’s hope that the UAE service will eventually extend across the GCC.

Images: Dimorestudio 

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