Transport in the United Arab Emirates

Roads

The United Arab Emirates have an extensive and very well developed road network, principally in the Northern Coastal area, where the main population centres are located. Many of these roads have been improved to become multilane dual-carriageway motorways, capable of coping with the high demand for road transportation in the country.

List of Motorways

Private vehicles

Private vehicles are commonly used in the country. Driving licenses are available to those who are 18 years of age and above. Unlike neighboring Saudi Arabia, women with valid driving licences are allowed to drive.[1] An extensive and modern road network connects the main coastal cities; the desert roads are less developed.

Transport payment systems

Fares in Abu Dhabi buses were paid by inserting two dhirams into a box next to the driver. But, now the hafilat card has made its way which is a contactless smart card. It is currently available only for bus travellers but will be gradually expanded into the water transport systems and the under -planning Abu Dhabi Metro, Etihad Rail and the Abu Dhabi Tram System. The Ojra card is used by frequent travellers. The Nol card is a contactless smart card used for Public Transport in Dubai. It is also used for payment on buses between Dubai and other cities.

Buses

A Bus in Abu Dhabi

Bus Services were introduced in Abu Dhabi by the Emirate in 2008 with four routes which were zero fare until the end of the year.[2] At the end of 2011, the Bus Services in Emirate of Abu Dhabi could provide more than 95 service routes with 650 buses to transport 50 million passengers in the region. In the Bus Network Plan in 2013, 14 bus routes were operated in Abu Dhabi City.[3]

Bus services also run in Dubai under the name DubaiBus and are part of the RTA. Buses in Sharjah are operated by Mowasalat. Bus services also operate in between the different emirates due to the lack of rail connectivity, although in the near future, this will change.[4][5]

Rail

The only intercity railway operational in the UAE is the Dubai Metro, while the Abu Dhabi Metro is under construction. Freight is transported through Etihad Rail, it was set up in 2009 to manage a national level freight and passenger rail network within the country and later to other nations of Gulf Cooperation Council. The first phase of the system is complete and now freight service has been started. The railway is then expected to reach for connection to Mussafah, Khalifa and Jebel Ali ports in Dubai in phase two and will connect to Saudi and Omani borders according to Shadi Malak as the Executive Director of Commercial and Operations of Etihad Rail. Reported in January 2016, phase two of construction is suspended for the company decides to re-plan the timing and delivery of the construction as phase one will still operate as originally planned. Costing approximately $10 billions, the three-stage rail system is expected to be built 1200km long to connect cities in UAE including the railway connection of Dubai and Abu Dhabi to improve UAE's infrastructure, as well as to create opportunity to reach out to further in the world to transport products through links in other Gulf countries. As expectation, cities of Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Dubai, Sharjah, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Khor Fakkan will be linked by Etihad Rail when completion is reached.[6][7]

In the November 2014, Dubai launched UAE's first tram network named Dubai Tram, it currently operates mainly in the Dubai Marina with many new stations being constructed.

Another tram system is being planned for Sharjah.[8]

Taxi services

Taxis services are operated by both government agencies as well as private agencies.[9]

Air

The largest airports in the country are Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) started applying an advanced program in 2010 that allows the assessment of aircraft registered in foreign countries in order to ensure their safety and airworthiness.[10] In 2011 it banned all aircraft registered in countries like Congo DR, Swaziland, Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone and São Tomé and Príncipe due to their poor safety standards.[11]

Airports

There are 42 airports spread across the UAE as of 2012.[12]

Airports with paved runways

  • total: 25
  • over 3,047 m: 12
  • 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
  • 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  • 914 to 1,523 m: 4
  • under 914 m: 2

Airports with unpaved runways

  • total: 17
  • over 3,047 m: 1
  • 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  • 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
  • 914 to 1,523 m: 6
  • under 914 m: 5

Heliports 5 are known as of 2012

Airlines

Emirates airline is the biggest national airline of the UAE and is owned by Dubai. Etihad Airways is the second largest National Airline and is owned by Abu Dhabi. Other airlines are flyDubai, Air Arabia and Royal Jet.

Pipelines

Crude oil 830 kilometres (516 mi); natural gas, including natural gas liquids, 870 kilometres (541 mi)

Ports and harbors

There are various ports spread across the 7 Emirates, they are Ajman Port, Fujairah Port, Das Island, Khalifa Port, Mina' Zayid and Mina Jabal Al Dhanna in Abu Dhabi, Khawr Fakkan, Mina Al Hemreya and, Mina' Khalid in Sharjah, Mina' Jabal 'Ali, Port Rashid in Dubai, Mina' Saqr in Ras Al Khaimah, Umm al-Qaiwain Port.

Merchant marine

Major Road Accidents

Six people were killed, at least 40 were injured and dozens of vehicles burned March 11, 2008 when hundreds of cars collided on a fog-shrouded Abu Dhabi-Dubai highway.[13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Al-Mukhtar, Rima (5 May 2013). "Saudi women seek driving licenses in UAE". Jeddah: Arab News. Retrieved Sep 12, 2014.
  2. ↑ "All aboard for a free ride". The National. 30 June 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-12.
  3. ↑ "Abu Dhabi Region Bus Services". dot.abudhabi.ae. Retrieved 2016-11-09.
  4. ↑ http://www.etihadrail.ae/
  5. ↑ http://www.arabiansupplychain.com/article-10819-etihad-rail-set-to-award-phase-2-of-11bn-rail-plan/
  6. ↑ Wam. "2017: Abu Dhabi to Dubai by train". Emirates 24|7. Retrieved 2016-11-09.
  7. ↑ Haider, Haseeb. "UAE's Etihad Rail stage two tendering process suspended - Khaleej Times". www.khaleejtimes.com. Retrieved 2016-11-09.
  8. ↑ http://www.emirates247.com/news/emirates/tram-in-sharjah-where-is-it-being-built-click-to-know-2015-09-03-1.602176
  9. ↑ http://desertsafaridubaioffer.ae/
  10. ↑ http://www.arabiansupplychain.com/article-3702-breaking-news-uae-bans-antonov-an-12-aircraft/#.UcaD7BZCWxI
  11. ↑ "United Arab Emirates bans Congo registered aircraft". eTN. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
  12. ↑ https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ae.html Airports in UAE- CIA Factbook
  13. ↑ Incidents
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