Salik, Dubai’s toll gate operator, on Tuesday signed an agreement to enable e-wallet parking at Dubai International Airport.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed, chairman of Dubai Airports, and Mattar Al Tayer, chairman of Salik, witnessed the signing of the 10-year agreement. It will introduce the payment system across all paid car parks at the airport, including 7,400 parking spaces at Terminals 1, 2 and 3, as well as the Cargo Mega Terminal. The system is to be in place from January 22.
Under the deal, Salik will be responsible for integrating the e-wallet system with the existing management systems used by Dubai Airports. Salik will also operate and maintain them.
“This agreement is fully aligned with our strategy to expand Salik’s role in smart and sustainable mobility while accelerating growth beyond our core tolling business,” said Ibrahim Al Haddad, chief executive of Salik. “It builds on the momentum we’ve created in seamless parking through our presence across the UAE’s key destinations and reinforces our position as a trusted digital payments partner for leading destinations and infrastructure operators in the UAE.”
What is Salik?
Salik is the sole provider of Dubai’s traffic charging system. It revised its road tolls last year, increasing charges from a Dh4 ($1.08) 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.
The Salik system was introduced in 2007 to ease traffic congestion, raise state revenue and encourage the public 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 established at the Airport Tunnel, with two at Mamzar.
In 2018, the Jebel Ali gate was introduced. New gates at the Business Bay Crossing on Al Khail Road and at Al Safa South on Sheikh Zayed Road opened in 2024.
Motorists are charged to pass through each gate, with the toll deducted automatically using 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 by 9.3 per cent compared with the previous year to reach 4.47 million. There was a 7.3 per cent increase in registered drivers for the same period.
In the first three months of 2025, the toll operator recorded 210.8 million trips, up 35.1 per cent compared with the previous year, it said in a report.
Total revenue was up 33.7 per cent to Dh751.6 million, while net profit increased 33.7 per cent on the previous year to reach Dh370.6 million. Toll use fees represented 88.6 per cent of revenue.
