Salik for company cars used to be a small line in the fleet budget. In 2026 it needs more attention: Salik now adds 5% VAT, Darb has a longer evening peak and no caps at all, and two Darb gates charge 24/7. This guide puts the current tolls, peak hours and fines for Dubai and Abu Dhabi in one place, and explains who pays when cars are shared. All figures are as of October 2026, with sources at the end.
| As of October 2026 | Salik (Dubai) | Darb (Abu Dhabi) |
|---|---|---|
| Gates | 10 | Bridge gates (Sheikh Zayed, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, Al Maqta, Mussafah) plus Ghantoot and Al Qurm |
| Peak toll | AED 6.30 incl. 5% VAT (AED 6 + VAT), 6–10am and 4–8pm, Monday to Saturday | AED 4, 7–9am and 3–7pm, Monday to Saturday (evening peak was 5–7pm until 31 August 2025) |
| Other hours | AED 4.20 incl. VAT, 10am–4pm and 8pm–1am; no charge 1–6am | No charge at the bridge gates; Ghantoot and Al Qurm charge AED 4 at any hour |
| Sundays | AED 4.20 at all charged hours (except public holidays and events) | No charge, except Ghantoot and Al Qurm |
| VAT | 5% since 1 June 2026, on tolls and tag activation | Not mentioned on the official fee page |
| Daily or monthly cap | — | None. Company-owned vehicles never had one; the caps for private vehicles ended on 1 September 2025 |
| Unregistered vehicle | Grace of 10 working days, then AED 100, 200, then 400 (max. one per vehicle per day) | Grace of 10 working days, then AED 100, 200, then 400 per day |
| Insufficient balance | AED 50 if not topped up within 5 working days | AED 50 after 5 working days |
Salik runs 10 toll gates in Dubai. The two newest, Business Bay Crossing on Al Khail Road and Al Safa South on Sheikh Zayed Road, opened in November 2024. Since 31 January 2025 Salik uses variable pricing:
From 1 June 2026 Salik charges 5% VAT on tolls and on tag activation. The toll is now AED 6.30 at peak hours and AED 4.20 off-peak, and a new tag costs AED 105 in person or AED 126 online, VAT included. Every new or replacement company car needs its own tag, so plan this cost when the fleet changes.
Darb charges AED 4 per crossing from 7 to 9am and from 3 to 7pm, Monday to Saturday. Sundays and public holidays are free at the regular gates on the Sheikh Zayed, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, Al Maqta and Mussafah bridges. Two recent changes matter for fleets:
The official Darb fee page lists AED 4 per crossing and does not mention VAT (checked 12 October 2026). For the local parking and fine rules in the capital, see fleet management in Abu Dhabi.
Toll costs depend on routes, so the most useful number is your own. Fill in this worksheet for one car and one month, then multiply by the number of similar cars. The example is an illustration, not an average.
| Line | Example: a Dubai pool car | Your car |
|---|---|---|
| Salik crossings at peak hours per working day | 2 × AED 6.30 = AED 12.60 | |
| Salik crossings off-peak per working day | 2 × AED 4.20 = AED 8.40 | |
| Working days per month | 22 | |
| Salik per month | AED 21.00 × 22 = AED 462 | |
| Darb crossings at peak hours in Abu Dhabi per month | 8 × AED 4 = AED 32 | |
| Ghantoot crossings per month (any time) | 4 round trips = 8 × AED 4 = AED 32 | |
| Tolls per car per month | AED 526 |
Two things change this number most: whether trips fall inside peak hours, and whether private trips are made with the company car. You can see both only if each trip is recorded with its time and its driver.
Toll fines are issued to the vehicle, and that means to the company as the registered owner. The rules as of October 2026:
Salik disputes must be filed within 13 months of the date the violation was added to the traffic file.
Many fleet managers search for how to create a company Salik account or open a Darb company account. The documents required can change, so check them on the official Salik and Darb channels before you apply. Once the account exists, common causes of avoidable toll fines in shared fleets are in the vehicle list behind it:
A monthly check of the fleet list against both accounts, and a rule that no car leaves before it is registered, help prevent these fines.
No single UAE rule says who pays tolls inside a company; it is a matter of company policy and employment terms. A vehicle policy normally answers three questions:
Whatever the policy says, it works only if you can show who drove. Fines arrive days or weeks after the trip with a plate and a time, not a name. UAE courts have ordered former employees to repay fines that their employer had paid, and such cases rely on records. A trip log with the booking employee, the times and the route is that record.
This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Deductions from salary are regulated by UAE labour law and your employment contracts. Check with your HR or legal adviser before you recharge any amount to an employee.
The detailed matching method is in our article on matching traffic fines and Salik to the right driver. To do it without spreadsheets, see company car fines and Salik management with CT Mobility: every fine or toll timestamp is linked to the trip and the verified driver, and the result can be exported for black-point transfer or recharge under your policy.
All figures checked on 12 October 2026. Tariffs and fines change; confirm them on salik.ae and the official Abu Dhabi Mobility channels before you budget.
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AED 6.30 at peak hours (6-10am and 4-8pm, Monday to Saturday) and AED 4.20 at other charged hours, including 5% VAT since 1 June 2026. There is no charge from 1am to 6am.
No. Company-owned vehicles never had a Darb cap, and the caps for private vehicles were removed on 1 September 2025. Each crossing at peak hours costs AED 4.
Ghantoot and Al Qurm, since 4 May 2026. They charge AED 4 per crossing at any hour, seven days a week.
You have 10 working days from the first crossing to register and activate a tag. After that the fine is AED 100, then AED 200, then AED 400 for each further violation, with at most one violation per vehicle per day.
It depends on your company policy and employment terms. A policy can, for example, treat tolls on business trips as a company cost and handle private use and violations separately. In every case you need a record of who drove; this is general information, not legal advice.
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