Dubai’s Salik system runs on variable pricing: six dirhams during peak hours from 6am to 10am and 4pm to 8pm on working days, and four dirhams outside them.
Sundays and public holidays carry a flat four dirhams, with free passage between 1am and 6am.
From 1 June 2026, 5% VAT applies to the tolls, making them AED 4.20 off-peak and AED 6.30 at peak.
Salik tolls in Dubai — 2026
| # | Period | Toll | Including VAT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peak: 6–10am and 4–8pm (working days) | AED 6.00 | AED 6.30 |
| 2 | Off-peak | AED 4.00 | AED 4.20 |
| 3 | Sundays and public holidays | AED 4.00 | AED 4.20 |
| 4 | 1am to 6am | Free | Free |
From 1 June 2026, 5% VAT applies to Salik tolls. Variable pricing means the cost of the same road differs by the hour of travel. — Source ↗
Salik is unaffected by engine type: an electric car pays exactly the same toll as a petrol one.
The cumulative effect is worth calculating: a driver passing two gates each way at peak across 22 working days a month pays about AED 554 — close to a full month’s fuel for a mid-range car.
Which makes any cost-of-ownership calculation in Dubai that omits Salik an incomplete one. And the paradox is that this particular line is unaffected by engine type: an electric car pays exactly the same toll as a petrol one.
