Salik charges are AED 6.30 a crossing at peak and AED 4.20 off-peak, since 5% VAT was added on 1 June 2026. The base tariff did not change. It is still AED 6 and AED 4 before VAT.
On 21 October 2026 we read the Dubai government’s Salik page, The National’s report of 30 May and later coverage. Salik’s own website refused our automated requests, so we could not read it. This is general information, not legal advice.
| When | Hours | Before VAT | With 5% VAT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday to Saturday, peak | 06:00–10:00 and 16:00–20:00 | AED 6 | AED 6.30 |
| Monday to Saturday, off-peak | 10:00–16:00 and 20:00–01:00 | AED 4 | AED 4.20 |
| Sunday | 06:00–01:00, one flat rate | AED 4 | AED 4.20 |
| Every day, free window | 01:00–06:00 | No tariff | No tariff |
Salik charges by time of day
The Dubai government portal reports the same hours as the table. It lists peak on Monday to Saturday, a flat AED 4 on Sunday and free passage from 01:00 to 06:00 every day. Outside peak hours it reports AED 4 a crossing.
The VAT column comes from Khaleej Times, whose 22 May report put peak at AED 6 before VAT and AED 6.30 after, and off-peak at AED 4 and AED 4.20. Gulf News, updated on 1 June, described the Sunday rate as a flat AED 4.20.
Variable pricing is older. Gulf News reported that it took effect on 31 January 2025, replacing a single AED 4 toll.
What changed on 1 June 2026
From Monday 1 June, VAT applies to both the toll and the tag. The National reported tags rising from AED 100 to AED 105 in person and from AED 120 to AED 126 online, and Salik said the rate applies to “all toll tariffs and activation fees”.
Gulf News put the change in tag activation at AED 50 to AED 52.50. The two reports use different terms, so we list both and do not try to merge them.
The retrospective bill is a separate point. Salik told the Dubai Financial Market on 15 May that VAT had been applied back to 1 July 2022, a sum of AED 471 million including late-payment penalties. The National reported that Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority will reimburse it, so drivers are not asked to pay the past amount.
How the gates and charging work
The National and Khaleej Times both count 10 toll gates in Dubai. Wikipedia lists them as Al Garhoud Bridge, Al Barsha, Al Safa North, Al Safa South, Al Maktoum Bridge, Al Mamzar North, Al Mamzar South, the Airport Tunnel, Jebel Ali and Business Bay Crossing.
Gulf News explains that a tag on the windscreen is read by radio signal as the car passes, and the toll comes out of a prepaid account. The same Wikipedia entry says that passing both Al Mamzar gates or both Al Safa gates within an hour in the same direction is charged once.
If you drive in Abu Dhabi as well, our Darb Abu Dhabi guide covers the capital’s six toll gates, which charge a flat AED 4.
Salik fines and grace periods
The Dubai portal says a car passing without a tag may be fined, and so may one with too little balance that is not recharged within five days. It gives no amounts. The figures below come from Salik’s terms of 28 June 2024, as Gulf News reported them.
- Insufficient balance: AED 50, plus AED 50 for each additional day, after five working days to top up.
- No registered tag: AED 100 on the first crossing after the ten-working-day window, AED 200 on the second and AED 400 on each one after.
- One violation is recorded per vehicle per day, and total fines are capped at AED 10,000 a vehicle each calendar year.
- A fine can be disputed only if it was posted to the traffic file within 13 months.
We could not check whether these amounts changed after the 2026 VAT change.
Ramadan and public holidays
The Dubai portal says peak hours are changeable during Ramadan. Gulf News reported a Ramadan schedule: free passage from 02:00 to 07:00, AED 6.30 from 09:00 to 17:00, and AED 4.20 for the hours either side. It did not say which year it was confirmed for.
For public holidays, Gulf News found no separate schedule and noted that rates may still be adjusted by the authorities. Check the date before a holiday trip.
Where the sources disagree
Three points differ between the Dubai portal and the news reports, so the date on each source matters more than any single figure.
- VAT: the Dubai portal page, last modified 03-04-2026 as printed, still shows AED 6 and AED 4 with no mention of VAT. The National, Khaleej Times and Gulf News show AED 6.30 and AED 4.20 from 1 June.
- Tag price: The National gives AED 100 and AED 120, Gulf News an activation fee of AED 50, and Wikipedia a tag of AED 100 that includes AED 50 of balance.
- Sunday: Gulf News calls the Sunday rate flat “throughout the entire day”, while the portal and Khaleej Times show the 01:00 to 06:00 window as free every day.
What we could not confirm
Several points stay open after our reading, because Salik’s website refused our requests and the portal page predates the VAT change.
- Anything published on salik.ae itself.
- Current fine amounts after June 2026.
- Whether the printed tag prices include VAT in the way the reports describe.
- The Ramadan 2027 toll schedule.
- Rates on public holidays.
Quick answers on Salik charges
How much are Salik charges per crossing?
AED 6.30 at peak and AED 4.20 off-peak on Monday to Saturday, and AED 4.20 on Sunday, all including 5% VAT since 1 June 2026.
Is Salik free on Sundays?
Not all day. Sunday has one flat rate of AED 4.20, and the 01:00 to 06:00 window is free every day.
How much does driving off-peak save?
AED 2.10 a crossing, by our arithmetic from the table. A peak round trip is AED 12.60 against AED 8.40 off-peak.
What is the fine for driving without a Salik tag?
Per Salik’s 2024 terms as reported by Gulf News, AED 100 on the first crossing after the ten-working-day window, then AED 200 and AED 400.
We read these pages on 21 October 2026 and will update the table if Salik changes the tariff. For fuel, see our UAE fuel prices page. For other Dubai driving costs, see our Dubai parking timings page and the Dubai taxi fare guide.
