Salik toll fee adjustments are set to change what drivers pay at Dubai’s toll gates during Ramadan, shifting peak pricing to a single daytime window and extending free late-night crossings. The revised schedule, reported by Khaleej Times and Gulf News, sets Dh6 peak charges from 9am to 5pm Monday to Saturday, Dh4 charges from 7am to 9am and 5pm to 2am, and a free period from 2am to 7am. On Sundays (excluding public holidays and major events), the toll is Dh4 during the same paid windows, and remains free from 2am to 7am.
Ramadan is expected to begin in the UAE around February 18–19, with the official start determined by moon sighting after the UAE moon-sighting committee meets on Tuesday, February 17. The practical consequence is immediate for commuters and logistics operators: the highest toll window moves away from the early-morning rush and into mid-day, while the evening-to-iftar period shifts into a cheaper band.
What Salik announced for Ramadan tolling
Under the Ramadan pricing schedule reported by Khaleej Times, Dubai motorists crossing Salik toll gates will pay:
Monday to Saturday
Dh6 peak fee: 9am to 5pm. Dh4 low-peak fee: 7am to 9am and 5pm to 2am. Dh0 off-peak fee: 2am to 7am.
Sunday (excluding public holidays and public events)
Dh4 during 9am to 5pm and also during 7am to 9am and 5pm to 2am. Dh0 off-peak fee: 2am to 7am.
Gulf News described the move as a revised road pricing schedule for Ramadan 2026 that introduces a new peak window and off-peak tariffs intended to better match travel patterns during the holy month.
Why the timing shift matters more than the dirham amount
Dubai’s variable tolling already means people respond to price signals by moving discretionary trips and deliveries away from the most expensive time bands. The Ramadan change is a clear example of that policy tool being adapted to a predictable demand shock: altered working hours, later evening activity, and a different rhythm of commuting.
Commuting costs and routing decisions
For many drivers, the biggest behavioral nudge is that the most expensive period becomes a long daytime block (9am–5pm) rather than two shorter rush-hour peaks. That can change route selection for errands, school runs, and mid-day work travel.
It also reshapes the economics of “one more crossing.” For example, a driver who previously expected a peak charge around the evening rush can now face a Dh4 band for the hours after 5pm until 2am, which is precisely when Ramadan traffic can intensify around iftar and evening gatherings.
Logistics and service businesses
For logistics, delivery, and on-demand service operators, the policy implication is straightforward: toll costs become more predictable if routes can be planned around the 9am–5pm peak. The extended Dh4 period from 5pm to 2am and the free window from 2am to 7am create larger low-cost operating bands for night replenishment and early-morning distribution—assuming customers and staffing patterns align.
The uncomfortable operational truth is that toll price changes do not remove congestion by themselves. They mainly redistribute trips. If many drivers chase the same “cheaper” window, traffic can simply move to that period, creating new crowding points.
Retail and footfall patterns
Retail traffic in Ramadan often peaks later in the day. A pricing structure that makes the post-5pm window cheaper than the daytime peak could reinforce that shift, especially for cross-city trips to malls, markets, and family gatherings.
The surprise for many commuters is that the most visible part of the policy—Dh6 versus Dh4—can be less important than the clock. People remember the time they were charged, not the tariff table.
How this fits Dubai’s broader variable pricing approach
Salik’s Ramadan toll fee adjustments sit on top of a variable pricing model introduced in recent years. The National noted that peak and off-peak toll charges were introduced in January 2025, raising peak-hour crossings from a flat Dh4 to Dh6 on Monday to Saturday. That makes Ramadan’s revised hours a temporary re-mapping of an existing system, rather than a brand-new toll policy.
The broader policy logic is demand management: shift flexible trips away from the busiest periods and create a clearer price signal for traffic management. In Ramadan, that same logic is being applied to a different daily pattern.
What drivers should watch next
The key operational detail is the start date of Ramadan pricing, which depends on the official Ramadan start following moon sighting. Once the start is confirmed, the practical questions are simple and concrete: which time band you typically travel in, whether Sunday exceptions apply to your routes, and whether public holidays or major events change the Sunday treatment.
For residents, the worry is getting caught by habit—driving at a familiar time and assuming the old peak window still applies. For businesses, the opportunity is to re-time trips and deliveries so toll spend is reduced without adding delay.
Salik toll fee adjustments are a small policy lever, but they are unusually visible because they hit drivers transaction-by-transaction. In Ramadan, they also serve as a real-time signal of how Dubai expects demand to shift—and how aggressively it plans to manage it.