How Salik variable pricing works
The Roads and Transport Authority announced on 28 November 2024 that Dubai's tolls would depend on the time of day from the end of January 2025, and Salik published the same schedule to the Dubai Financial Market the next day. It came into force on 31 January 2025, and Salik's results for the first quarter of 2026 still describe it as the system in use. A Monday-to-Saturday day has three bands. The morning and evening peaks, 6:00 to 10:00 am and 4:00 to 8:00 pm, cost AED 6 a crossing. The rest of the day and evening, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and 8:00 pm to 1:00 am, costs AED 4. Between 1:00 and 6:00 am crossings are free. The RTA's stated aim is better traffic flow, and the difference is real money: moving a daily return trip out of the peak saves AED 4 a day before VAT.
Sundays, holidays, events and Ramadan
On Sundays the toll is AED 4 at any time of day and free from 1:00 to 6:00 am. The RTA's announcement excludes public holidays, special occasions and major events from this Sunday rate but does not list those days, so the calculator does not guess: if you drive on such a day, count it as a Monday-to-Saturday day. Salik has announced different timings for Ramadan in the past, and they are not built in here. During Ramadan, check the times published on salik.ae and either put each crossing in the band whose price matches, or change the rates to model the month.
VAT on Salik from 1 June 2026
Salik's terms and conditions state that from 1 June 2026 VAT at the standard rate of 5% is applied on each toll, on top of the tariff, and taken from your Salik account together with the toll. Salik's press release of 22 May 2026 says the same for tag activation fees and confirms the tariff itself is unchanged. In practice a peak crossing now costs AED 6.30 and an off-peak or Sunday crossing AED 4.20. The calculator adds VAT to each crossing, the way your account is charged, and shows how much of your monthly total is VAT. Turn VAT off to estimate trips made before June 2026.
How to count your crossings
Count every time you pass under a gate, in either direction, and put it in the band for the moment you pass the gate, not the time you left home. A commute that passes one gate each way at 8:15 am and 6:30 pm is two peak crossings a day. The calculator turns your week into a month using 52 weeks divided by 12, about 4.33 weeks, so a month here is an average rather than a calendar month. This page does not list the gates or any rule about passing two gates close together, because we could not open a current official list for them. Salik's terms say gate locations and tolls are announced through road signs and media releases, and your account statement shows each trip charged.
What this calculator does not do
It never connects to Salik and cannot read your account, so it cannot show your balance, your trips, real-time charges or fines. It does not include the price of a Salik tag. It is an estimate built only from the numbers you type, and the rates are the published standard schedule, which you can change. For what you were actually charged, log in on salik.ae or the Salik app. Nothing you enter here is sent anywhere.