Quick answer
- Salik toll prices in Dubai are AED 6 plus 5% VAT (AED 6.30) at peak times and AED 4 plus VAT (AED 4.20) off peak, Monday to Saturday.
- Peak hours are 6am to 10am and 4pm to 8pm; Sundays cost AED 4 plus VAT all day, except on public holidays and public events.
- Every Salik gate in Dubai is free from 1am to 6am (2am to 7am during Ramadan).
- Dubai has 10 Salik gates, and driving through one without a tag can lead to fines of AED 100, AED 200 and then AED 400 per trip.
Salik toll prices in Dubai now depend on the day and time you cross a gate, and since 1 June 2026 every crossing also carries 5% VAT. This guide, checked against Salik’s official rates on 16 October 2026, covers what each crossing costs, where the 10 gates are, the fines and how to keep your bill down.
Salik toll prices Dubai: the current rates
Salik moved to variable pricing on 31 January 2025, so you now pay more at rush hour and nothing late at night. On 1 June 2026, 5% VAT was added on top of each crossing. According to Salik’s official variable toll rates, these are the charges today:
| Day | Time | Toll | With 5% VAT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday to Saturday | 6am to 10am (peak) | AED 6 | AED 6.30 |
| Monday to Saturday | 10am to 4pm | AED 4 | AED 4.20 |
| Monday to Saturday | 4pm to 8pm (peak) | AED 6 | AED 6.30 |
| Monday to Saturday | 8pm to 1am | AED 4 | AED 4.20 |
| Sunday | 6am to 1am | AED 4 | AED 4.20 |
| Every day | 1am to 6am | Free | Free |
The Sunday rate does not apply on public holidays or during public events. Salik also confirms that public holidays are not free: they follow the normal variable schedule.
Salik timings during Ramadan
During Ramadan the time bands shift to match the changed rush hours. The prices stay the same.
| Band | Ramadan timing | Toll |
|---|---|---|
| Peak (Monday to Saturday) | 9am to 5pm | AED 6 plus VAT |
| Standard | 7am to 9am and 5pm to 2am | AED 4 plus VAT |
| Sunday (all paid hours) | 7am to 2am | AED 4 plus VAT |
| Free | 2am to 7am | Free |
What the 5% VAT means for drivers
Salik applies VAT separately on top of the standard toll, so a peak crossing costs AED 6.30 and an off peak crossing AED 4.20. VAT is not charged on Salik violations, and it is not charged when you top up your prepaid balance; it is taken when each toll is deducted. We covered the change when it was announced in Salik rates in Dubai 2026: what drivers pay with 5% VAT.
For a commuter who crosses one gate on the way to work and one on the way home at peak time, six days a week, that is 12 crossings at AED 6.30, or AED 75.60 a week, up from AED 72 before VAT. To price any route, including parking, use our Salik and parking calculator.
All 10 Salik gates in Dubai
Salik lists 10 toll locations. The newest two, Business Bay Crossing and Al Safa South, were activated on 24 November 2024, with Al Safa South on Sheikh Zayed Road between Al Meydan Street and Umm Al Sheif Street. For maps and any newly announced gates, see our Salik gates tracker.
- Al Barsha
- Al Garhoud Bridge
- Al Maktoum Bridge
- Business Bay Crossing
- Airport Tunnel
- Jebel Ali
- Al Safa North
- Al Safa South
- Al Mamzar North
- Al Mamzar South
The one hour rules
Two pairs of gates sit close together, so Salik charges them once. If you pass Al Safa North and Al Safa South in the same direction within one hour, you pay one toll. The same applies to Al Mamzar North and Al Mamzar South.
Salik fines and tag costs
Salik violations are separate from police traffic fines. These are the amounts listed in Salik’s official FAQs:
| Situation | Grace period | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Not enough balance when you cross | 5 working days to top up | AED 50 per day of trips, per vehicle |
| No registered Salik tag, first trip after grace period | 10 working days to buy and activate a tag | AED 100 |
| No registered tag, second trip | Same 10 working days | AED 200 |
| No registered tag, each later trip | Same 10 working days | AED 400 (maximum one violation per vehicle per day) |
| Tampering with a Salik tag or damaging Salik property | None | AED 10,000 |
| Buying a Salik tag | Total cost |
|---|---|
| From an authorised sales agent | AED 102.50 (AED 52.50 tag including VAT, plus AED 50 toll balance) |
| Online with delivery | AED 122.50 (the same, plus AED 20 delivery including VAT) |
Practical tips to cut your Salik bill
- Shift trips by 30 minutes where you can. Crossing at 10am instead of 9:45am saves AED 2.10 per gate.
- Run errands that cross gates on Sundays or after 8pm, when every crossing is AED 4.20.
- Use the one hour rule: passing both Al Safa gates, or both Al Mamzar gates, within an hour is charged once.
- Keep auto top up or a healthy balance. A short balance becomes an AED 50 daily fine after five working days.
- Activate a new tag before your first crossing through the Salik website, the Salik app or the RTA Dubai app.
Parking is a separate system run by Parkin, which also added VAT in June 2026. Read how Parkin’s VAT change affects Dubai parking fees.
FAQs
How much is Salik in Dubai now?
From Monday to Saturday, Salik charges AED 6 plus VAT (AED 6.30) at peak times, 6am to 10am and 4pm to 8pm, and AED 4 plus VAT (AED 4.20) at other times. On Sundays it is AED 4 plus VAT all day. Every day, crossings between 1am and 6am are free.
Is VAT charged on Salik tolls?
Yes. Since 1 June 2026, 5% VAT is added on top of every toll crossing, so AED 6 becomes AED 6.30 and AED 4 becomes AED 4.20. Salik says VAT does not apply to Salik violations or to the prepaid balance you top up.
How many Salik gates are there in Dubai?
Dubai has 10 Salik toll gates: Al Barsha, Al Garhoud Bridge, Al Maktoum Bridge, Business Bay Crossing, Airport Tunnel, Jebel Ali, Al Safa North, Al Safa South, Al Mamzar North and Al Mamzar South. Variable pricing applies at all of them.
Is Salik free on public holidays?
No. Salik says public holidays follow the normal variable toll schedule, and the cheaper Sunday rate does not apply on public holidays or during public events. The only free window is 1am to 6am, or 2am to 7am during Ramadan.
What is the fine for driving through Salik without a tag?
You have 10 working days from your first trip to buy, activate and fit a tag. After that, Salik charges AED 100 for the first trip, AED 200 for the second and AED 400 for each trip after that, with a maximum of one violation per vehicle per day.
More for drivers: UAE Driving Guide
