You do — and here's exactly how it's settled.
Salik is Dubai's automatic road toll system. There are gates on Sheikh Zayed Road, Al Garhoud Bridge, Al Maktoum Bridge, Al Safa, Al Mamzar and elsewhere, and every crossing is billed automatically to the vehicle. There's no way to pay at the gate and no way to avoid the charge once you've passed one.
Tolls accrued while the car is with you are yours, and they're settled at the end of the rental:
If your car carried a security deposit, the total is deducted from it before the balance is released back to you.
If your car had no deposit, the total is charged when you return the car.
Either way you get the itemised total. We pass on what the gates actually charged — nothing estimated, nothing rounded up.
What it costs
Salik uses time-based pricing. As of June 2026 a crossing is AED 6.30 at peak times (6am–10am and 4pm–8pm on weekdays) and AED 4.20 off-peak. Crossings between 1am and 6am are free every day, and Sundays are charged at the off-peak rate all day.
For scale: a run from Dubai Marina to Downtown and back crosses roughly two gates each way, so around AED 17 off-peak or AED 25 in rush hour.
📣 Note: Crossings can take a few days to register, the same way radar fines do. If a toll from your rental appears after you've returned the car, we'll contact you with the details.
💡 Tip Need more help? Get support from the VIPRent team. We're here to help with any questions you may have.