Nol Card vs Salik vs Darb: Complete UAE Toll and Transit Guide

How Dubai’s and Abu Dhabi’s four separate payment systems — Nol, Salik, Darb and Hafilat — actually work, and which ones you need for driving and public transport across the UAE.

Dubai and Abu Dhabi run four different electronic payment systems for moving around, and they are not interchangeable. Nol is the contactless card for RTA metro, tram, buses and water transport in Dubai. Salik is the RFID toll deducted when you cross a gate on Dubai’s main roads. Darb is the number-plate toll that applies only in Abu Dhabi during rush-hour crossings onto Abu Dhabi island. Hafilat is Abu Dhabi’s bus smart card, operated by the Integrated Transport Centre (ITC).

This guide explains what each system covers, current 2026 fees and peak hours, registration steps, grace periods and fines, and which combination you need depending on where you live, work or rent a car.

Key Takeaways

• Nol is for Dubai public transport only (metro, tram, bus, water bus, tram-connected parking). Issued by RTA.
• Salik is Dubai’s road toll. AED 4 or AED 6 per crossing depending on time of day, charged via RFID tag plus plate recognition.
• Darb is Abu Dhabi’s road toll. AED 4 per crossing, charged only during weekday peak hours at four bridges leading to Abu Dhabi island.
• Hafilat is Abu Dhabi’s bus smart card (ITC). It does not work on Dubai metro/buses, and Nol does not work on Abu Dhabi buses.
• Salik has 10 toll gates across Dubai’s main corridors; Darb has 4 gates on bridges entering Abu Dhabi island.
• Darb uses plate recognition only — no sticker or tag is required. Salik requires an RFID tag attached to the windscreen.
• Since 1 September 2025, Darb no longer has a daily or monthly fee cap for private vehicles. Salik never had a cap (it was removed in 2013).
• Ignoring registration or letting your balance run out triggers escalating fines in both systems: up to AED 400 per day for unregistered plates in Salik.

What Each System Covers: The One-Minute Answer

System	Emirate	What it pays for	Operator
Nol Card	Dubai	Metro, tram, public buses, water bus, RTA paid parking, partner retail outlets	RTA (Roads and Transport Authority)
Salik	Dubai	Road tolls at 10 toll gates	Salik Company PJSC (originally RTA)
Darb	Abu Dhabi	Road tolls at 4 bridges to Abu Dhabi island	Integrated Transport Centre / Department of Municipalities and Transport
Hafilat	Abu Dhabi	Public buses in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Al Dhafra	Integrated Transport Centre

There is no single card that covers everything. A Dubai resident who commutes by car on Sheikh Zayed Road needs Salik. A Dubai resident who takes the metro needs a Nol card. Driving to Abu Dhabi island on a weekday morning adds Darb. Taking a bus inside Abu Dhabi adds Hafilat.

Nol Card: Dubai’s Public Transport System

The Nol card is a contactless prepaid smart card introduced by RTA in 2009. The word “nol” means “fare” in Arabic. It is the only accepted payment method on Dubai Metro, Dubai Tram, RTA public buses and water transport — cash is not accepted on board. Fares are calculated by the number of fare zones crossed, not by distance or number of stations. Dubai is divided into seven public-transport zones.

Nol Card Types and Prices

Card	Price	Who it’s for	Validity
Red Ticket	AED 2 (paper card) + fare	Short-stay tourists; occasional use	90 days or 10 trips
Silver	AED 25 (AED 19 credit + AED 6 card)	Default for residents and frequent visitors; standard fares	5 years
Gold	AED 25 (AED 19 credit + AED 6 card)	Access to Gold Class cabin on Metro and Tram; fares are doubled	5 years
Blue (personal)	AED 70 (AED 20 credit)	Personalised card linked to Emirates ID; enables balance recovery if lost and concession fares for students, seniors and People of Determination	5 years

The Silver card is the default choice for almost anyone staying in Dubai for more than a few days. The Gold card is only worth the extra fare if you specifically want the Gold Class cabin. The Blue card is the only card from which a lost balance can be recovered, because it is registered to your Emirates ID.

Zone Fares on a Silver Nol Card

Fares depend on how many zones you cross in a single journey, including any transfer between metro, bus and tram completed within 30 minutes.

Journey	Silver Nol	Gold Nol	Blue Nol (concession)
Within 1 zone	AED 3.00	AED 6.00	AED 1.50
2 adjacent zones	AED 5.00	AED 10.00	AED 2.50
3 or more zones	AED 7.50	AED 15.00	AED 3.75

A transfer between Metro, Tram or a feeder bus within 30 minutes is counted as a single continuous journey, so you are not charged twice for combining modes within the same trip. The minimum balance to pass through a metro gate is AED 7.50 — below that, the gate will not open. Fares, caps and pass prices are set by RTA and should be verified on the official fare calculator before planning long commutes, as daily-cap figures vary between secondary sources.

Monthly and Annual Passes

Travel passes loaded onto a Nol card cover unlimited journeys within a fixed zone scope for 7, 30, 90 or 365 days. A 30-day, two-zone pass on a Silver card is AED 230 (AED 460 Gold, AED 115 concession); all-zones monthly is around AED 350 Silver. These passes are activated by tapping at a metro gate after purchase. For two daily round trips across two zones on workdays only, pay-as-you-go and the monthly pass reach break-even at roughly 44 journeys a month.

Where to Buy and Recharge a Nol Card

Nol cards are sold at ticket vending machines in every metro station, at RTA Customer Happiness Centres, at selected bus stations and at authorised retailers. Recharging is available at any ticket vending machine, through the Nol Pay app, on the RTA website, via linked bank apps, and at partner retailers. The card is mandatory for anyone budgeting a household commute in Dubai, because public-transport spending feeds directly into monthly living costs.

Salik: Dubai’s Road Toll System

Salik (Arabic for “clear” or “open”) was launched by RTA on 1 July 2007 and has been operated since July 2022 by Salik Company PJSC, a listed public joint-stock company. It is a barrier-free electronic toll: vehicles do not stop or slow down. Detection uses RFID (a sticker on the windscreen) backed up by ANPR (automatic number-plate recognition) cameras, so an unregistered vehicle is still identified by plate.

Salik Toll Gates

Salik operates ten toll gates across Dubai’s main arteries. Two new gates were activated in November 2024 — Business Bay Crossing on Al Khail Road and Al Safa South on Sheikh Zayed Road — bringing the total to ten. The full list:

• Al Barsha (Sheikh Zayed Road)
• Al Safa North and Al Safa South (Sheikh Zayed Road)
• Al Maktoum Bridge
• Al Garhoud Bridge
• Airport Tunnel
• Al Mamzar North and Al Mamzar South (Al Ittihad Road)
• Jebel Ali / Energy (Sheikh Zayed Road near Ibn Battuta)
• Business Bay Crossing (Al Khail Road)

Variable Toll Rates

Until January 2025 Salik charged a flat AED 4 per crossing. Since 31 January 2025 it uses a variable-pricing model that depends on the time of day, and these 2025 rates carry into 2026.

Time	Monday to Saturday	Sunday / public holidays
06:00 – 10:00	AED 6 (peak)	AED 4
10:00 – 16:00	AED 4 (off-peak)	AED 4
16:00 – 20:00	AED 6 (peak)	AED 4
20:00 – 01:00	AED 4 (off-peak)	AED 4
01:00 – 06:00	Free	Free

During Ramadan the schedule is adjusted to reflect different travel patterns, with free passage from 02:00 to 07:00 and a shifted peak window. The Ramadan schedule is published each year on the Salik website.

Linked Gates and Al Maktoum Bridge

If you pass through Al Mamzar North and Al Mamzar South in the same direction within one hour, you are charged once, not twice. The same rule applies to Al Safa North and Al Safa South. Al Maktoum Bridge has free-passage hours overnight; the exact window is set by RTA.

Salik Tag: Cost and Registration

Every vehicle driving on Dubai roads must carry a Salik tag or be registered by plate. A tag costs AED 100 at a petrol station (AED 50 for the tag + AED 50 credited as starting balance). Ordering online adds an AED 20 delivery fee, bringing the total to AED 120. Activation is automatic once the tag is stuck on the windscreen, about 1 cm below the rear-view mirror. Rental cars already carry a tag registered to the rental company’s account, and tolls are reconciled against your deposit or invoice after the vehicle is returned — some companies add a small per-crossing administrative fee.

Grace Periods and Fines

Salik distinguishes two violation types: unregistered plates (URP) and insufficient funds (ISF).

Violation	Grace period	Fine
Unregistered plate (URP)	10 working days from first crossing	AED 100 first day, AED 200 second day, AED 400 each subsequent day (max 1 violation per day per vehicle)
Insufficient funds (ISF)	5 working days from first crossing with negative balance	AED 50 per day

Unpaid Salik violations can block renewal of vehicle registration and other RTA services, so they should not be ignored. Disputes can be filed through the Salik website, the Smart Salik app, the RTA Dubai app or by calling 8007 25 45.

Darb: Abu Dhabi’s Road Toll System

Darb (Arabic for “path”) is Abu Dhabi’s road toll, launched on 2 January 2021 under Law No. 17 of 2017. It is operated by the Integrated Transport Centre of the Department of Municipalities and Transport, with Q Mobility as the system operator. Darb differs from Salik in three ways that matter in practice:

1. No physical tag. Vehicles are identified by number plate only.
2. Peak-hour charging only. Outside the listed windows, all four gates are free.
3. Limited geography. Only four gates, all on bridges entering Abu Dhabi island.

Darb Toll Gates

• Sheikh Zayed Bridge
• Sheikh Khalifa Bridge
• Al Maqta Bridge
• Mussafah Bridge

All four are bridge crossings onto Abu Dhabi island; routes that stay on the mainland do not pass through Darb gates.

Peak Hours and Fees

Day	Peak hours	Fee
Monday to Saturday (standard)	07:00 – 09:00 and 17:00 – 19:00	AED 4 per crossing
Monday to Saturday (Ramadan)	08:00 – 10:00 and 14:00 – 16:00	AED 4 per crossing
Off-peak hours	All other times	Free
Sundays and public holidays	All day	Free

Since 1 September 2025, the ITC has removed the previous daily cap of AED 16 and the monthly caps of AED 200 / 150 / 100 for first/second/additional vehicles. Each peak-hour crossing now incurs the full AED 4 regardless of how many crossings you make in a day.

Darb Registration

Registration is compulsory for every vehicle driving in Abu Dhabi, regardless of the emirate where the car is registered. Drivers have a 10-working-day grace period after the first crossing to complete registration. The process runs through the Darb website or the Darb app.

Registration fee: AED 100 per vehicle, of which AED 50 is credited as starting wallet balance. Required inputs are:

• Traffic file number (from vehicle registration card / Mulkiya)
• Plate details — emirate, category and number
• Emirates ID of the account holder
• Active mobile number linked to the traffic file
• Valid email address (organisation email for company accounts)

Vehicles registered in a different emirate must create the account at least 10 days before the first Abu Dhabi crossing to avoid violations. For insufficient balance, out-of-emirate vehicles are given a 5-working-day grace period to top up before fines are issued.

Darb Exemptions

Ambulances, police, armed forces and civil defence vehicles with official plates or logos are automatically exempt. Applications for discretionary exemption can be submitted through the Darb platform by:

• UAE citizens aged 60 and above
• Retired UAE citizens
• People of Determination
• Low-income UAE citizens (on proof of eligibility)

Each exemption must be approved and renewed when the registration period ends.

Hafilat: Abu Dhabi’s Bus Smart Card

Hafilat (Arabic for “buses”) is Abu Dhabi’s public-bus smart card, launched by the Integrated Transport Centre in 2015. It is tapped on a validator when boarding and alighting and works on all ITC public buses across Abu Dhabi city, Al Ain and Al Dhafra. Hafilat does not work on Dubai’s metro, tram or buses, and a Nol card cannot be used on Abu Dhabi public transport.

Card Types and Prices

Card	Price	Validity
Anonymous Hafilat	AED 10	5 years
Personalised Hafilat	AED 10 (requires Emirates ID and photo)	5 years

Fares and Passes

The standard Hafilat fare within Abu Dhabi city is AED 2 boarding + 5 fils per kilometre, capped at AED 5 per journey. Intercity and express routes charge AED 2 boarding + 10 fils per kilometre. Flat-rate passes for frequent users:

• Weekly pass: AED 30 (7 days, unlimited within Abu Dhabi city)
• Monthly pass: AED 80 (30 days)
• Annual pass: AED 500

Students, UAE citizens aged 55 and above and People of Determination can apply for subsidised annual permits on personalised Hafilat cards through the ITC customer happiness offices at bus stations.

Cross-System Comparison

Feature	Nol	Salik	Darb	Hafilat
Purpose	Public transport	Road toll	Road toll	Public transport
Coverage	Dubai	Dubai	Abu Dhabi	Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Al Dhafra
Per-use fee	AED 3 – 7.50 (zone-based)	AED 4 (off-peak) / AED 6 (peak)	AED 4 (peak hours only)	AED 2 + per-km; cap AED 5
Payment method	Tap card	RFID tag + ANPR backup	ANPR (plate only)	Tap card
Card / tag cost	AED 2 – 70	AED 100 (AED 120 online)	AED 100 (AED 50 as balance)	AED 10
Grace period	n/a	10 working days (URP) / 5 working days (ISF)	10 working days (registration)	n/a

Which Systems Do You Actually Need?

If You Live in Dubai and Drive

You need a Salik account if your regular routes include Sheikh Zayed Road, Al Garhoud Bridge, Al Maktoum Bridge, Al Khail Road (Business Bay Crossing) or Al Ittihad Road (Al Mamzar gates). If you drive into Abu Dhabi for work on weekday peaks, you also need a Darb account. Expect to pay the AED 4 crossing fee even if you only enter Abu Dhabi once a week during the peak window.

If You Live in Dubai and Use Public Transport

A Silver or Blue Nol card covers everything in Dubai — metro, tram, buses, water bus. If you regularly commute to Abu Dhabi by intercity bus and then take city buses inside Abu Dhabi, you will need a separate Hafilat card for the Abu Dhabi leg, because Nol is not accepted on ITC buses.

If You Live in Abu Dhabi and Drive

Darb registration is compulsory, whether or not you routinely cross bridges during peak hours. If you drive into Dubai for work meetings or airport runs on Sheikh Zayed Road, you also need a Salik tag for your vehicle. Many Abu Dhabi residents maintain both accounts permanently — there is no technical obstacle to holding both.

If You Rent a Car

Rental companies in Dubai and Abu Dhabi maintain corporate Salik and Darb accounts. The vehicle comes pre-equipped with a Salik tag, and Darb charges are attached to the rental company’s account via the plate. Tolls are reconciled against your deposit or invoice after the rental ends. Always ask whether the rental company adds an administrative fee per crossing. If you want to minimise tolls, alternative Salik-free corridors include Al Khail Road (except Business Bay Crossing), Emirates Road (E611) and Mohammed bin Zayed Road (E311) — although longer journeys offset some of the saving. Holders of a foreign licence should also confirm whether they can drive on their home licence or must exchange it.

If You Are a Tourist

For 2 to 5 days in Dubai: a Silver Nol card (AED 25) is cheapest. If you plan to drive a rental, the rental company handles Salik for you. For a short Abu Dhabi visit without a rental, buy an anonymous Hafilat card (AED 10) or take taxis. If you rent a car and drive to Abu Dhabi on a weekday, the rental company’s Darb account covers the crossing — confirm this at pickup.

Common Pitfalls

• Assuming Nol works in Abu Dhabi. It does not. Abu Dhabi buses take only Hafilat.
• Assuming Darb charges every day. It is free on Sundays, public holidays and all off-peak hours.
• Forgetting to top up Salik before a long trip. The 5-working-day grace period starts the moment you cross with insufficient balance, and AED 50 daily fines follow.
• Driving a friend’s car without a Salik tag. Fines hit the vehicle owner, not the driver.
• Not registering an out-of-emirate car before entering Abu Dhabi. Darb requires registration at least 10 days before the first crossing if the plate is not Abu Dhabi.
• Relying on outdated daily caps for Darb. The AED 16 daily cap was removed on 1 September 2025.
• Forgetting to tap out on the metro. Without a tap-out the system charges the maximum 3-zone fare (AED 7.50 Silver) on your next entry.

FAQ

Does Nol work on Abu Dhabi buses?

No. Nol is an RTA Dubai card. Abu Dhabi public buses accept only Hafilat, which is issued by the Integrated Transport Centre. There is currently no unified UAE-wide transit card.

Do I need Salik if I drive a rental car in Dubai?

No. Rental cars come pre-fitted with a Salik tag registered to the rental company. You are billed for the crossings you make, usually against your deposit or final invoice. Ask the rental company whether they add an admin fee per crossing — some do, some do not.

Does Darb charge me every time I cross a bridge to Abu Dhabi?

No. Darb charges AED 4 only during weekday peak hours (07:00–09:00 and 17:00–19:00, Monday to Saturday, with adjusted windows during Ramadan). Off-peak crossings, Sundays and public holidays are free. However, your vehicle must still be registered in the Darb system.

Is there still a daily or monthly cap on Darb?

No. On 1 September 2025 the Integrated Transport Centre removed the AED 16 daily cap and all monthly caps for private vehicles. Each peak-hour crossing now incurs the full AED 4 regardless of how many crossings you make.

What happens if I drive through Salik without a registered tag?

You have 10 working days from your first crossing to register a tag on your vehicle. If you do not, fines escalate: AED 100 on the first day of violation, AED 200 on the second day, and AED 400 on each subsequent day. A maximum of one violation is recorded per vehicle per day.

Can I use the same account for multiple vehicles?

Yes. Both Salik and Darb allow multiple vehicles under a single personal or corporate account. In Salik, each vehicle needs its own tag; in Darb, each plate is simply added to the account.

How are fares calculated on Dubai Metro?

By zone, not by distance. Dubai is divided into seven public-transport zones. A one-zone journey on a Silver Nol card is AED 3, two zones AED 5, three or more zones AED 7.50. Transfers between metro, tram and feeder bus within 30 minutes count as a single journey.

Who is exempt from Darb tolls?

Ambulances, police, armed forces and civil defence vehicles with official plates are automatically exempt. Senior UAE citizens (60+), retired citizens, People of Determination and low-income citizens can apply for exemption through the Darb platform, which must be approved and renewed when registration expires.

Can I dispute a Salik or Darb fine?

Yes. Salik disputes can be filed through the Salik website, the Smart Salik app, the RTA Dubai app or by calling 8007 25 45. Darb disputes are submitted through the Darb app or website, or via the ITC customer service channels. Keep evidence such as top-up receipts and SMS notifications.

Do I need separate accounts for Salik and Darb?

Yes. They are run by different authorities (Salik Company PJSC in Dubai; Integrated Transport Centre in Abu Dhabi) and are not integrated. A Salik tag does not work in Abu Dhabi, and a Darb registration does not cover Dubai tolls.

What is the minimum balance for a Nol card?

AED 7.50. Below this, metro and bus gates will not open; you must top up before boarding.

Official Sources

• RTA — Choose a Nol card (card types and eligibility)
• Salik — Variable toll rates
• Salik — FAQs (grace periods, fines, tag registration)
• Salik — Disputing violations (fine structure)
• Integrated Transport Centre — Darb tolling system
• Integrated Transport Centre — Darb fines and grace periods
• TAMM — Register a vehicle in the Abu Dhabi toll system
• Integrated Transport Centre — Hafilat smart cards
• Hafilat / Darb official portal

Fees, peak-hour windows, Ramadan schedules and fine structures are set by RTA, Salik Company PJSC and the Integrated Transport Centre and are subject to change. Verify with the official authorities before registering a vehicle, disputing a violation or planning a long-term commute. This guide is informational and does not constitute legal or financial advice.