Dubai's road toll operator is to increase charges for Eid Al Adha on Sunday, under a variable pricing strategy that adjusts for public holidays and other major events.
Salik Company, the sole provider of the emirate's traffic charging system, said on Wednesday that drivers will pay Dh6 when they pass through city's toll gates during the peak hours of 6am to 10am and 4pm to 8pm on Sunday, the final day of Eid Al Adha.
Motorists typically pay a Dh4 levy from 6am to 1am on Sundays, with charges waived outside of those hours.
Drivers will pay Dh4 when crossing the charging points from 10am to 4pm and 8pm to 1am this Sunday, while it will remain free to travel between 1am and 6am.
Updated road tolls
Salik revised its road tolls in January, increasing charges from a Dh4 flat fee to Dh6 during busy periods.
From Monday to Saturday, peak rates apply from 6am to 10am and from 4pm to 8pm. Off-peak charges, between 10am and 4pm and from 8pm to 1am, remain at Dh4.
Two new Salik gates – at the Business Bay Crossing on Al Khail Road and at Al Safa South on Sheikh Zayed Road – were activated in November, taking the number of toll gates in Dubai to 10.
-
Electronic traffic signs on Umm Sequim St, which is being used to advertise the new Salik IPO scheme in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National -
Vehicles pass under a toll gate on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai on Monday, September 5, 2022. Toll gate operator Salik will make an initial public offering on the emirate's stock market, becoming the latest state-linked company to list. AP -
Electronic traffic signs on Al Khail, which is being used to advertise the new Salik IPO scheme in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National -
Drivers are charged Dh4 ($1.09) for each gate that they pass through. There are eight gates at present, but Salik's IPO prospectus says that more could be built. The National -
Motorists are required to have a tag on the windscreen of their car and an online account to use the high-speed motorway. Victor Besa / The National -
Signs warn drivers that they need a tag on their vehicle to use this road. Jaime Puebla / The National -
Electronic traffic signs on E311 highway, which is being used to advertise the new Salik IPO scheme in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
The Salik system was introduced in 2007 to ease traffic congestion, raise state revenue and encourage residents to use public transport. The first two gates were opened in Garhoud and Barsha, with Safa and Maktoum bridge gates added a year later. In 2013, three gates were introduced at the Airport Tunnel, and two at Mamzar – south and north. In 2018, the Jebel Ali gate was introduced.
Motorists are charged to pass through each gate, with the toll deducted automatically via tags fixed to vehicle windscreens. The tags can be bought online or at service stations and topped up online or through recharge cards.
Busier roads as population expands
In May, Salik said the number of registered active vehicles, including motorcycles, increased 9.3 per cent year-on-year to 4.47 million. There was a 7.3 per cent increase in registered drivers for the same period.
In its report for the first three months of 2025, the toll operator said it recorded 210.8 million trips, up 35.1 per cent year-on-year. Total revenue was up 33.7 per cent to Dh751.6 million, while net profit increased 33.7 per cent year-on-year to Dh370.6 million. Toll usage fees represented 88.6 per cent of revenue.
Salik said the toll rates that came into force in January, the addition of two toll gates last November and the tourism boom in Dubai all contributed.
