Regulation of land transport
Federal Law No. 9 of 2011 on Land Transport (PDF, 472 KB) sets the legal framework for paid land transport services of passengers and goods conducted within the UAE, between emirates, and across international borders.
Land transport includes any vehicle, bus, truck or tractor-trailer driven on roads, including the vehicles moving on railways.
Related links
The UAE’s ranking in road infrastructure
According to the Travel & Tourism Development Index 2024 (PDF, 1 MB) issued by the World Economic Forum, the UAE was ranked:
- 5th globally and 1st among Arab countries in road quality, and
- 10th globally and 2nd among Arab countries in the efficiency of public transport services as per Travel & Tourism Development Index 2024 (TTDI).
Overall, the UAE was ranked at 18th position in the TTDI 2024, up by 7 positions since 2019. The UAE is the only country from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to be amongst the top 20 scorers.
As for the other pillars, the UAE’s score out of 7 is:
- 5.57 in business environment
- 6.4 in safety and security
- 6.23 in ICT readiness
- 5.67 in openness to travel and tourism and
- 6.52 in air transport infrastructure.
Main roads
The UAE continues to construct and maintain roads in accordance with international standards. Some of the main roads are:
- Al Ittihad Road (E11): The longest road in the UAE, with an approximate length of 553 km. It stretches from the Al Ghuwaifat border crossing with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Abu Dhabi to the Clock Roundabout in Ras Al Khaimah, passing through Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, and Umm Al Quwain.
- Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road / Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Road (E311): Extends from Abu Dhabi–Al Ain Road (E22) in Abu Dhabi to Al Rifaa in Ras Al Khaimah. Spanning approximately 220 km, it passes through Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, and Umm Al Quwain. The road is known as Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Road within Abu Dhabi and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road in Dubai and the Northern Emirates.
- E611 (Emirates Bypass Road): Serves as an alternative to Sheikh Zayed Road and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, providing a direct route between Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain, Ajman, and Sharjah without passing through central Dubai. It starts at the intersection with Al Fayah Road (E75) in Abu Dhabi and ends in the Shamal area of Ras Al Khaimah, with an approximate length of 160 km.
- Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Road (E84): Starts at Fujairah Corniche Road (E99) in Fujairah and extends to Sheikh Tahnoon bin Mohammed Al Nahyan Road (E66) in Abu Dhabi. It passes through Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah, forming an important link between the eastern and central regions of the UAE.
- Dubai–Fujairah Road: Passes through the Hatta mountain range and crosses the emirates of Dubai, Sharjah, and Ras Al Khaimah.
- Dubai–Al Ain Road: Connects Dubai with Al Ain city.
- Sheikh Zayed Bridge : 842 metres long and 64 metres high, it is the third traffic route connecting the mainland to the island of Abu Dhabi.
Tolls
Road toll in Dubai (Salik)
All vehicles including taxis are subject to a toll when they pass through the toll gates in Dubai. Vehicle owners are required to buy salik tags which are available online and at petrol stations. After purchasing the salik tag, vehicle owners must stick them on the front shield of their car/bike. Check the salik balance from time to time by calling on 800-Salik (80072545) and re-charge it online. Read about additional top-up channels.
Passing through salik gates without the tag or passing without sufficient balance and not re-charging within 5 days, are some of the salik-related violations.
Toll is variable and depends on the time you pass the toll gate. Refer to the chart below for toll in Dubai.
Abu Dhabi toll system (Darb)
The emirate of Abu Dhabi started collecting road tolls on 2 January 2021. Toll gates are located on the four bridges leading to the Abu Dhabi city:
- Sheikh Zayed Bridge
- Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Bridge
- Al Maqtaa Bridge
- Mussafah Bridge.
Activation of account on the toll system
If you own a vehicle or vehicles, you must set up and activate your account with ‘Darb’, the toll gate system, through the website of Darb or the ‘Darb’ mobile application available on App Store, Google Play and AppGallery.
Vehicles will be automatically identified by their plate number; you don’t need to stick a tag on the windshield.
Toll amount
- A toll of AED 4 will be levied on every vehicle passing the gate during peak hours that will be 7 am to 9 am and from 3 pm to 7 pm from Saturday to Thursday
- No fees will be levied during off-peak hours, and on Fridays and official holidays
Exemptions from paying toll
- Senior Emiratis, People of Determination, Emiratis with limited-income and retired Emiratis are exempted from paying the toll; the exemption is limited to one vehicle.
- The toll system will automatically exempt these categories from paying toll if their vehicles are registered in Abu Dhabi.
- Owners of vehicles registered in other emirates must log into their accounts to claim exemption.
Related links
- ITC calls on drivers to register for toll gate ahead of 2nd January, 2021, activation – WAM
- Abu Dhabi toll system registration – TAMM
- FAQs on the Abu Dhabi toll system – Integrated Transport Centre
- Tolling policies – Integrated Transport Centre
Route planning
Updated on:
06 Jan 2026
