Dubai will get a second Etihad Rail passenger station in Meydan, RTA Rail Agency CEO Abdul Muhsen Kalbat told The National on Monday — planned to sit with a future Metro Gold Line stop. No delivery date or exact plot was given.
Etihad Rail Meydan station Dubai: Gold Line integration on the record
Kalbat, who also sits on the RTA board, said Etihad Rail has “a future plan to open new stations – one additional station in Dubai,” plus a high-speed railway plan between Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
“One of the future stations is in Meydan. We’ve planned it to be integrated with our Gold Line station,” he said.
That puts the national rail closer to central Dubai than today’s first Dubai passenger stop. The National notes it also matches the map RTA issued when the Gold Line was announced. Timeline and exact location remain unknown.
Kalbat framed wider interchange as the point: Metro as mass transit, plus buses and micromobility such as cycling and walkways. He said the Nol card integration with Etihad Rail is ready to be implemented.
Al Yalayis still first — Meydan is the extra Dubai stop
This is not Al Yalayis. Dubai’s first Etihad Rail passenger station, Dubai Al Yalayis near Jumeirah Golf Estates, is still scheduled for 30 September 2026, as labelled on The National’s own station photography for the Meydan piece and in same-day readiness coverage.
Meydan is the additional Dubai passenger station Kalbat named — future work, not the September opening.
Not the Airport Express either
In the same briefing Kalbat also discussed the Dubai Airport Express Line — a separate RTA project to link Dubai International (DXB) and Al Maktoum International (DWC) over about 55 kilometres with five stations. That line is in consultant-study tendering and is not the Etihad Meydan passenger station.
For DWC terminal context, see tbreak’s Al Maktoum queue-free AI security brief.
RailX Dubai and the Gold Line clock
Kalbat was speaking while announcing RailX Dubai Conference and Exhibition, set for 31 May–2 June 2027 under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed. Organisers are targeting about 5,000 delegates, with Chinese rolling-stock giant CRRC already listed as a partner.
On metro delivery, Kalbat told The National the Blue Line is about 24 per cent complete and due 9 September 2029, with no delay expected. He said the Gold Line is due 9 September 2032, with a construction tender planned before the end of 2026 and an award hoped for by the end of next year. Those are metro programme dates — not a published calendar for the Meydan Etihad station itself.
What to watch
Watch for a named Meydan plot, a delivery window, and how the Gold Line interchange is drawn once that metro tender lands. Until then, treat Meydan as confirmed in principle by RTA’s rail chief, still undated, and separate from both Al Yalayis and the Airport Express.
Where will Dubai’s second Etihad Rail passenger station be?
In Meydan, according to Abdul Muhsen Kalbat, CEO of the RTA Rail Agency, speaking to The National on 14 September 2026. Exact plot and delivery timeline were not announced.
Will the Etihad Rail Meydan station link to the Metro Gold Line?
Yes in plan. Kalbat said the Meydan station is planned to be integrated with a Gold Line metro station. The National notes this matches the map RTA issued when the Gold Line was announced.
Is Meydan the same as Al Yalayis or the Airport Express?
No. Al Yalayis near Jumeirah Golf Estates is Dubai’s first Etihad Rail passenger station, still due 30 September 2026. The Airport Express is a separate RTA DXB–DWC airport rail project. Meydan is the additional Etihad passenger station Kalbat named.
When does the Meydan Etihad Rail station open?
Unknown. The National reports timeline and exact location are not yet known. Do not treat Gold Line’s stated 9 September 2032 metro opening as the Meydan station date.
What is RailX Dubai?
A rail conference and exhibition Kalbat announced for 31 May–2 June 2027 under Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed’s patronage, targeting about 5,000 delegates, with CRRC listed as a partner.
