UAE September 2026: New Etihad Rail route, tax changes and key dates to know

Dubai: September is set to bring a number of changes and developments for UAE residents, as well as major updates affecting travel, transport and daily life. Several new measures will take effect during the month, while major projects and attractions enter new phases.

The UAE’s passenger rail network will expand to Dubai on September 30, 2026, marking the launch of the wider Etihad Rail passenger service.

The new connection will link Abu Dhabi’s Mohamed bin Zayed City station with Dubai’s Al Yalayis Station, with the journey between the two emirates expected to take about 57 minutes.

The Dubai station will open alongside Al Dhaid station in Sharjah as part of the network’s second phase.

Etihad Rail is eventually expected to connect 11 cities and areas across the UAE, giving residents another option for travelling between emirates and potentially reducing reliance on road travel.

Dubai’s Museum of the Future will temporarily close from September 1, 2026, as it begins a major overhaul of its current exhibitions.

The landmark attraction, which opened in February 2022, will replace its existing galleries with a new generation of immersive and interactive experiences.

The revamped museum is expected to reopen in the first quarter of 2027, around its fifth anniversary.

The new experiences will explore scientific, technological and societal developments shaping the future. More than 1,000 ideas submitted by people around the world will help inform the museum’s next phase.

From September 1, 2026, the UAE will introduce a minimum excise price of Dh1 per millilitre for liquids used in electronic smoking devices and tools.

The measure is part of the Ministry of Finance’s efforts to strengthen excise tax compliance and ensure consistent standards across tobacco and electronic smoking products.

Importantly, the minimum excise price is not the same as a minimum retail price. Instead, it is used to calculate excise tax.

Under the new measure, a 10ml bottle will have a minimum excise price of Dh10, while 30ml and 60ml bottles will have minimum excise prices of Dh30 and Dh60, respectively.

The Dubai Mallathon 2026 will run until September 15, bringing the three-month initiative to a close.

The event was expanded this year into an annual three-month programme, running from June 15 to September 15 across participating Dubai malls.