Salik and Darb tolls: what you pay when you drive a rental car from Sharjah

Does Sharjah have toll gates?

Yes, but only for trucks. A car driving inside Sharjah, or leaving it on any road, does not pay a Sharjah toll.

The Sharjah Executive Council put this in writing in June 2022: the emirate’s truck gates collect fees from trucks to maintain the road network, and Sharjah provides its traffic services without imposing fees on other vehicles. In February 2026 the Council approved turning those truck gates into electronic gates under the name Masaar; that resolution also speaks of trucks only.

The UAE government portal lists two road-toll systems: Salik in Dubai and Darb in Abu Dhabi.

Salik in Dubai: gates and charges

Salik has 10 toll gates, and each pass costs AED 6 at peak times or AED 4 at other charged times, plus 5% VAT. Nothing is charged between 1:00 am to 6:00 am. There is no barrier and no need to slow down: the gate reads the tag on the windscreen.

Coming from Sharjah on Al Ittihad Road, the first gates you reach are Al Mamzar North and Al Mamzar South, just inside Dubai.

• Paired gates: pass Al Mamzar North and Al Mamzar South in the same direction within 60 minutes and you are charged once, at the rate of the first gate. The same applies to Al Safa North and Al Safa South.
• Different gates add up: Al Mamzar and the Airport Tunnel are separate gates, so passing both means two charges.
• Ramadan: the hours shift. Peak is 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, the lower rate applies 7:00 am to 9:00 am and 5:00 pm to 2:00 am, and 2:00 am to 7:00 am is free.
• Public holidays and big events: the gates keep charging. Salik says the Sunday rate does not cover them and announces any special rates closer to the date.

Rates and hours are set by Salik and change by announcement. Check the current Salik tariff before a long trip.

Darb in Abu Dhabi

Darb charges AED 4 each time a car passes one of its six gates. Four are on the bridges into Abu Dhabi city and charge only at peak hours; two newer gates charge around the clock. Darb reads the number plate, so there is no tag to fit.

• No daily or monthly cap: the caps for private vehicles were removed on 1 September 2025, so every charged crossing costs AED 4.
• Public holidays: the four bridge gates are free. When Abu Dhabi announced the Prophet’s Birthday holiday in August 2026, it stated that Al Qurm and Ghantoot kept charging.
• Registration: the vehicle must be registered with Darb, and only its owner can do that. An unregistered vehicle has 10 working days after a crossing to register before a fine is issued.

Some official pages still show the older rules, with four gates and Saturday to Thursday charging. The figures here follow the Integrated Transport Centre’s own announcements of 15 August 2025 and 23 April 2026.

How tolls are charged on a Darb Rent car

Tolls and fines are not included in the rental rate and are charged separately by the rental company. Nothing is paid at the gate itself: there are no booths, and each crossing is recorded against the car.

Both systems bill the owner. Salik holds the vehicle’s owner responsible for every toll and violation, whoever was driving, and allows one tag per vehicle that cannot be moved to another car. Darb lets only the owner register a vehicle. On a rental the owner is the rental company, which then passes the charges on to you.

• Before a trip to Dubai or Abu Dhabi, ask the team on WhatsApp how and when tolls will be billed for your rental.
• If you plan to drive to Abu Dhabi, say so when you book, because Darb needs the vehicle to be registered by its owner.

Common trips from Sharjah and which tolls apply

The tolls depend on the road you choose, not only the destination. This table uses the official gate locations above.

For distances and drive times on these routes, see driving in the UAE as a visitor. For paying to park once you arrive back, see the Sharjah parking guide.