UAE: all change!

From the Monocle daily newsletter, the Monocle Minute,

The UAE has announced plans to transform the country’s freight and passenger rail networks and unveiled a €12bn investment this week, as part of Expo 2020 Dubai. The UAE Railways Programme is part of a wider strategy to boost economic growth and tourism. It builds on the Etihad Rail network (pictured), which was launched in 2009 to bring the Emirates closer together. The plans include the construction of high-speed rail links to connect 11 UAE cities, including a 50-minute Abu Dhabi-to-Dubai service.

Prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said that the railway network would promote further economic integration and co-operation between the Emirates, while supporting the UAE’s efforts to cut carbon emissions by 70 to 80 per cent over the next 50 years. As well as improving freight and high-speed rail, the three-pronged strategy includes improvements to inner-city public transit. If successful, perhaps the plans will convince people across the UAE to jettison their cars and jump on board.

I include this here because I want to look back in a few years and see how what happened related to what the UAE planned to happen.