Living in Dubai

Salik Road Toll System in Dubai

Salik means clear or open in the Arabic Language. It is Dubai’s innovative electronically controlled toll collecting system that commenced operations in July 2007. It was designed and introduced with the intention of reducing traffic gridlock along Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai’s main road which connects the city’s commerce districts. Salik uses the latest technology in electronics to realize the free flow of its traffic operations and has no physical toll collectors, tool booths or impacts on the free traffic flow. The system allows free movement of vehicles through the tolling points at highway with allowed rapidity.

Salik Operations

Salik system has no physical toll gates, barriers or booths and is a free flowing system that allows free movement of traffic through the toll points at the allowed speeds. The Salik has 2 polling points, Sheikh Zayed Road in the vicinity of the Mall of the Emirates and Al Garhoud Bridge. Whenever a vehicle passes through the Salik toll point, an AED4 toll credit is deducted from the sticker which is stuck on the vehicle's windscreen and is readable by the toll machine’s computer.

A Salik tag must be stuck on the windscreen of all vehicles's using the toll gates near the Mall of the Emirates on Sheikh Zayed Road and Garhoud Bridge. Motorists don’t have to stop for the machine to read the tag, but is automatically done when they pass through the electronic device. They have to buy the machine readable pre-paid Salik card stickers and fix them on their vehicle’s windscreen. Their toll charges will be subtracted from their prepaid cards any time they pass through the scanners fitted on the electronic gates on the highway. Any motorist who doesn’t have the Salik tag is charged a fine of Dh100 and in case they have it but have no credit left on their Salik road toll card, then they are charged a fine of Dh50.

Opening a Salik road toll account

Motorists can open a Salik account at any of the Emirates Bank's or Dubai Islamic Bank's many branches, ENOC, Emirate petrol stations and EPCO in Dubai. However, before opening a Salik account, a Salik tag must be bought. The Salik tag is a thin electronic sticker which bears a chip that is readable by the scanners installed at the toll gates. The Salik tag is not affected by weather changes or the speed of the passing vehicle.