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Wednesday, September 30, 2026
What happened. What it means. What to do.
 

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THE LEAD
Etihad Rail's Dubai line opens today: 10 trains a day between Dubai and Abu Dhabi
For months the Dubai end of Etihad Rail has been a station name and a ticket price. Today it is a working railway. Ten trains a day now run between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the first departing Al Yalayis Station in Jumeirah Golf Estates at 6.14am, and the trip takes about one hour and four minutes from Dh39 on a Comfort seat. Premium runs Dh109 if you want the bigger seat. If the Dubai-Abu Dhabi drive is part of your week, this is the first morning you can look at that motorway and take a train instead, and the numbers finally sit on the commuter's side of the table.
Day one is already proving the demand. Premium seats on the first Abu Dhabi-bound morning train and the 1.14pm afternoon service are booked, as are Premium seats on the 12.43pm Abu Dhabi-Dubai run. UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed rode the inaugural train in from Abu Dhabi on Monday, surprising Sheikh Hamdan and Sheikh Theyab as they inaugurated the station. Sharjah gets a stop today too: Al Dhaid Station opens, reaching Fujairah in 25 minutes from Dh19. And the line plugs into the city around it, with Al Yalayis about 1,000 metres from Jumeirah Golf Estates Metro Station and a transfer bridge, so rail, Metro, tram and bus can sit on one nol One-Day Pass.
The Dubai end of the network has been arriving in steps, and this brief has carried each one. On 7 August Al Yalayis got its name and its 30 September opening date. On 21 September the tickets went on sale at Dh39, with the first train at 6.14am. Today the trains run. Two months of announcements, and the last one is the only one you can actually board.
WHAT TO DO

Book through Etihad Rail and plan around the 6.14am first departure from Al Yalayis. Premium on the first morning train is already sold out, so a Comfort seat from Dh39 is the everyday option.
   
QUICK 3
1 October fuel prices rise from Thursday
The UAE Fuel Price Committee has set October prices, and every grade goes up from Thursday 1 October. Super 98 moves to Dh4.40 a litre from Dh3.80, Special 95 to Dh4.28 from Dh3.69, and E-Plus 91 to Dh4.21 from Dh3.61. Diesel rises 50 fils to Dh4.80. That is a rise of about 16% on petrol and 12% on diesel, and the third monthly increase in a row after August and September. If you fill 50 litres of Special 95 each week, the new rate adds about Dh30 a week, or close to Dh120 over the month. Today is the last day to fill at September's price, so top up before midnight if the tank is low.
 
2DEWA now switches on your water and power in two minutes
DEWA has moved electricity and water activation onto agentic AI, cutting the task from about eight minutes to two and trimming customer inputs from 10 to 3 and journey steps from 9 to 3, a 75% reduction in time, available around the clock. If you are moving into a new home this season, the first utility step just got shorter than a coffee order.
 
3Corporate tax return and payment due today
Today, 30 September, is the filing and payment deadline for corporate tax on financial years ending 31 December 2025. File and pay through EmaraTax even if no tax is due, and if your business qualifies for Small Business Relief you must elect it inside the return to claim it. Late filing carries administrative penalties.
   
WHAT IT MEANS
The Dubai-Abu Dhabi drive now has a rail alternative
For anyone who does the Dubai-Abu Dhabi run regularly, a Dh39 Comfort seat is now a fixed-price option on that corridor, and you can work through the hour and four minutes instead of watching brake lights.
Dh35.40
MORE ON 60 LITRES

Special 95 rises 59 fils a litre on Thursday, which adds Dh35.40 to a 60-litre fill and Dh47.20 to an 80-litre tank.
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Etihad Rail made its debut, DEWA cut a chore to two minutes, and a corporate tax deadline is due today for anyone who has not filed. Friday I will look at how the first lorry-free commutes on Sheikh Zayed Road actually played out. Stephan
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Dubai Mornings provides general information only. Nothing here constitutes legal, financial, visa, or real estate advice. Verify all claims with official UAE sources before acting.
SOURCES

·  Etihad Rail 10 daily Dubai-Abu Dhabi journeys and 30 September launch: Khaleej Times (Sep 29)
·  Etihad Rail fares from Dh39 and Dh109, one-hour-four-minute journey and presidential first ride: Khaleej Times (Sep 29)
·  Etihad Rail sold-out day-one Premium seats: Khaleej Times (Sep 29)
·  Sharjah Al Dhaid Station fares from Dh19, 25 minutes to Fujairah: Khaleej Times (Sep 29)
·  October prices Super 98 Dh4.40, Special 95 Dh4.28, E-Plus 91 Dh4.21 and diesel Dh4.80, effective 1 October: Khaleej Times (Sep 30)
·  October fuel prices and the 59-fils Special 95 rise behind the Dh35.40 and Dh47.20 fill arithmetic: Gulf News (Sep 30)
·  DEWA two-minute electricity and water activation: Gulf News (Sep 29)
·  Corporate tax filing deadline 30 September: Gulf News (Sep 26)

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