Budget AED 4 to 6 per Salik gate plus 5% VAT, about AED 2.10 an hour for standard street parking and at least AED 300 for the lowest speeding fine. With a rental car, the company receives the tolls and fines under the car's plate and bills you afterwards, often weeks after the rental. This guide covers Salik times and prices, parking zones and apps, speed cameras and the fines we could confirm, new limits and how rental firms charge.
By SB Excursions · Published 3 November 2026 · Updated 3 November 2026
While you are in Dubai: Abu Dhabi City Tour from Dubai — From $45 per person, 9 hours.
How much is Salik in Dubai?
AED 6 at peak times (6-10 AM and 4-8 PM, Monday to Saturday) and AED 4 at other times, free from 1 to 6 AM, plus 5% VAT since 1 June, which makes AED 6.30 and AED 4.20. Sundays are AED 4 all day. There are 10 gates, and Ramadan has its own schedule.
This guide also answers:
- How much is parking in Dubai?
- What is the speeding fine in Dubai?
- Can I check a Dubai traffic fine myself?
Four running costs of a car in Dubai
#1
Salik toll gates
There are 10 gates and no booths: a tag on the windscreen is read as you drive under one. A crossing costs AED 6 at peak times and AED 4 otherwise, free from 1 to 6 AM, plus 5% VAT. Several gates in one day add up, and the rental company bills you later.
#2
Street parking in Parkin zones
Standard zones cost AED 2.10 an hour off-peak and AED 4.20 at peak times including VAT, and busy zones coded E and I cost AED 10.50. Pay by SMS, WhatsApp, the RTA Dubai app or the Parkin app. Hours and Sunday rules differ by zone, so read the sign at the bay.
#3
Mall and hotel car parks
Malls and hotels set their own car park rules, so ask the hotel about parking per night when you book. Parkin's own multi-storey car parks charge AED 5.25 an hour or AED 42 for 24 hours. For a long evening in Downtown, a taxi can be easier than finding a space.
#4
Speed cameras and limits
Cameras record plates, and the fine follows the car to the rental company. The lowest speeding fine is AED 300, rising to AED 3,000 and 23 black points for more than 80 km/h over the limit. Five Dubai roads changed their limits on 1 November, so watch the signs.
Salik, parking and fines: the short answer
Driving in Dubai costs more than the rental rate. Each Salik toll gate is AED 6 at peak times and AED 4 otherwise, free from 1 to 6 AM, and a 5% VAT has been added to tolls and parking since 1 June. Street parking is paid by zone, from AED 2.10 an hour, and the lowest speeding fine is AED 300. With a rental car, the company receives the tolls and fines under the car's plate and bills you afterwards.
That is why many visitors are better off without a car in the city: the Metro, trams and taxis cost less once parking and Salik are added. Our car rental guide covers licences, deposits and insurance. This guide covers the three running costs: tolls, parking and fines.
Salik: what each crossing costs
Salik is Dubai's electronic toll. There are no booths: a tag on the windscreen is read as you drive under one of 10 gates, and a rental car carries a tag. Gulf News gives the times in the table, and The National reported the VAT.
| Time of day | Monday to Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|
| 6 AM to 10 AM | AED 6 (peak) | AED 4 |
| 10 AM to 4 PM | AED 4 | AED 4 |
| 4 PM to 8 PM | AED 6 (peak) | AED 4 |
| 8 PM to 1 AM | AED 4 | AED 4 |
| 1 AM to 6 AM | Free | Free |
Prices are before 5% VAT, which applies to all toll fees from 1 June: AED 6.30 at peak and AED 4.20 otherwise (The National). Variable rates can apply on public holidays and event days; check salik.ae.
Ramadan has its own schedule. For the last Ramadan, The National reported, Salik announced AED 6 from 9 AM to 5 PM, AED 4 from 7 to 9 AM and from 5 PM to 2 AM, and nothing from 2 to 7 AM, Monday to Saturday. Ramadan is expected to begin around 8 February 2027, and we have not seen the 2027 schedule, so check before you drive.
Two small rules help. Passing both Al Safa gates in the same direction within one hour is charged once, the same applies to both Al Mamzar gates, and passing from Al Mamzar to Al Safa, or the reverse, in the same direction within an hour is also charged once (Gulf News). Tolls apply on public holidays unless the authorities announce otherwise.
Parking: Parkin zones, apps and Sundays
Public street parking in Dubai is run by Parkin. The National reported the tariffs after VAT was added on 1 June, and the table shows them.
| Where | Cost, VAT included |
|---|---|
| Standard street zone, off-peak | AED 2.10 an hour |
| Standard street zone, peak | AED 4.20 an hour |
| Zones coded E and I, such as Jumeirah Lakes Towers | AED 10.50 an hour |
| Parkin multi-storey car park | AED 5.25 an hour, or AED 42 for 24 hours |
Tariffs differ by zone and can change. The sign at the bay and parkin.ae have the current rates.
Hours and free days depend on the zone. Gulf News and Khaleej Times report zones that are paid from 8 AM to 10 PM, from 8 AM to midnight and all day, every day. Many zones are free on Sundays and public holidays, but a zone at Al Khail Gate stays paid on Sundays. The sign at the bay, with its zone code, is the rule for that bay.
According to the RTA you can pay by SMS, WhatsApp, the RTA Dubai app or the Parkin app, and you will need your plate number and the zone code from the sign. Parking fines for public bays can be looked up by plate number and paid on the RTA website, and the RTA helpline is 800 90 90. Malls and hotels run their own car parks with their own rates.
Speed cameras and the fines we could confirm
Gulf News, citing the Dubai Police website, lists these speeding fines. Cameras record the plate, so the fine follows the car.
| Speed over the limit | Fine | Black points and impound |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 20 km/h | AED 300 | Not listed |
| Up to 30 km/h | AED 600 | Not listed |
| Up to 40 km/h | AED 700 | Not listed |
| Up to 60 km/h | AED 1,500 | 6 black points, 15-day impound |
| Up to 80 km/h | AED 2,000 | 12 black points, 30-day impound |
| Over 80 km/h | AED 3,000 | 23 black points, 60-day impound |
Gulf News says the radar grace margin is typically 20 to 30 km/h above the posted limit, depending on the road. Do not drive to a margin; drive to the limit.
Other fines Gulf News has reported are in the next table. Its article on impounded cars does not mention rental cars, so ask your rental company how it handles an impounded vehicle.
Other fines, new limits and new rules
These are the fines a visitor is most likely to meet, with the source for each.
| Offence | Fine and points | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Phone or camera in hand while driving | AED 800 and 4 black points | Gulf News |
| Tailgating | AED 400, 4 black points and 30-day impound; the RTA handbook says keep two seconds from the car ahead | Gulf News |
| Sudden swerving or an unsafe lane change | AED 1,000 and 4 black points | Gulf News |
| Jumping a red light | Release fee for the impounded car: AED 50,000 | Gulf News |
| Reckless driving or endangering lives | Release fee for the impounded car: AED 50,000 | Gulf News |
Two recent changes matter. On 1 November the RTA, with Dubai Police, changed the speed limits on five roads: Al Asayel Street rose from 60 to 80 km/h, Al Mustaqbal Street and Latifa bint Hamdan Street from 60 to 70, while Al Rebat Street fell from 100 to 90 and Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah Street from 80 to 70, Khaleej Times reported. Signs were to be replaced and cameras reprogrammed before the change took effect.
New executive regulations for the federal traffic law take effect on 1 January 2027, Khaleej Times and Gulf News reported, including detailed rules on overtaking and on e-scooter permits. If you drive in 2027, check the current fine amounts first. Our rules guide lists the everyday fines that are not about driving.
How rental companies charge you
A rental contract makes you responsible for tolls and fines during the rental, and tolls and fines are recorded against the car's plate, so they reach the company first. What follows is the usual pattern described in our rental guide, not an official rule:
- Salik tolls are added to your bill at the end of the rental, sometimes with an admin fee.
- Fines are charged to the card on file or taken from the deposit, often weeks after you return, sometimes with an admin fee.
- The deposit hold can stay on your card for weeks, because fines are checked after the return.
- We found no official scale for admin fees. Ask the company for its amount in AED, and read the clauses on fines, impound and Salik before you sign.
Photograph the car and the fuel gauge at pickup, keep the contract with the pickup and return times, and ask for a final statement. If a charge looks wrong, those dates are your proof. You can also look a fine up yourself: according to Gulf News the RTA lets you search by plate number, driving licence number, traffic file number or fine number, and the RTA Dubai app has a Pay Fines for Others service. Paying a fine is not the same as transferring the black points.
When a car is not worth it
A car makes sense for a long day to Hatta or Jebel Jais. For the city, the Metro and taxis cost less. For Abu Dhabi, the drive is about 140 km each way, and our Abu Dhabi city tour, from $45 per person, includes the 8:00 AM hotel pickup, a licensed guide and the return, with no prepayment, so there are no tolls, parking or fines to think about. For the dunes, no rental contract covers the sand: our full-day desert safari is from $45 per person with hotel pickup. The Dubai to Abu Dhabi guide compares every option, and the taxi guide has typical fares.
FAQ
How much is Salik in Dubai?
AED 6 at peak times (6-10 AM and 4-8 PM, Monday to Saturday) and AED 4 at other times, free from 1 to 6 AM, plus 5% VAT since 1 June, which makes AED 6.30 and AED 4.20. Sundays are AED 4 all day. There are 10 gates, and Ramadan has its own schedule.
How do I pay Salik in a rental car?
You do not pay at the gate. The car's tag is read, the rental company pays the toll and bills you afterwards, sometimes with an admin fee. Check your contract for the fee, because we found no official scale.
How much is parking in Dubai?
Standard Parkin street zones cost AED 2.10 an hour off-peak and AED 4.20 at peak times including VAT, zones coded E and I cost AED 10.50 an hour, and Parkin's multi-storey car parks AED 5.25 an hour or AED 42 for 24 hours. Pay by SMS, WhatsApp or the RTA Dubai or Parkin app.
Is parking free on Sundays in Dubai?
In many zones, yes, and on public holidays, but not in all of them: reports mention zones that stay paid on Sundays and zones paid all day. The sign at the bay, with its zone code, decides.
What is the speeding fine in Dubai?
From AED 300 for up to 20 km/h over the limit, AED 600 up to 30 and AED 700 up to 40, then AED 1,500, AED 2,000 and AED 3,000 with 6, 12 and 23 black points and a 15 to 60 day impound, according to Gulf News citing Dubai Police.
Who pays a traffic fine in a rental car?
You do. The fine is recorded against the car's plate, and the rental company charges you, often from the card on file or the deposit and sometimes with an admin fee. Check the clause in your contract and keep it with your pickup and return times.
Can I check a Dubai traffic fine myself?
Yes. The RTA lets you search by plate number, driving licence number, traffic file number or fine number, and its app has a Pay Fines for Others service. Parking fines on public bays can be paid on the RTA site, and the RTA helpline is 800 90 90.
Did the speed limits change in Dubai?
Yes. On 1 November the RTA changed the limits on five roads: Al Asayel Street is now 80 km/h, Al Mustaqbal Street and Latifa bint Hamdan Street 70, Al Rebat Street 90 and Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah Street 70. New federal traffic regulations take effect on 1 January 2027.
Recommended Dubai tours for this guide
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Photos: Mall and hotel car parks — Fabio Achilli from Milano, Italy, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons).