DARB is Abu Dhabi's automated road toll system, active since January 2, 2021. Every vehicle not registered in Abu Dhabi must enrol before using toll roads. The one-time fee is AED 100 per vehicle — AED 50 is returned immediately as wallet credit. Oplus International Realty has put together this guide for anyone relocating to or buying in Abu Dhabi.
As of May 4, 2026, the DARB network expanded to six active toll gates. Two of them are new today — and they operate differently from the rest.
What the DARB System Is
DARB is Abu Dhabi's electronic tolling infrastructure, administered by the Integrated Transport Centre (ITC), an affiliate of the Department of Municipalities and Transport. The system runs on number plate recognition cameras. No physical sticker or tag is attached to the vehicle — unlike Dubai's Salik system, which requires a windshield tag for every registered car.
Each DARB crossing triggers an automatic deduction from your registered digital wallet. The legal basis is Law No. 17 of 2017 on Road Tolls in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, as referenced on admobility.gov.ae. Vehicles registered in Abu Dhabi are enrolled automatically when the car registration card is issued. Drivers from every other emirate must register separately through the DARB portal or app.
Who Must Register and Who Does Not
Vehicles registered in Abu Dhabi: no separate account needed. The plate is already in the system.
Vehicles registered elsewhere in the UAE — Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain — must register before the first crossing, or within 10 working days afterward. After that grace period, fines begin. Visitors driving rental cars should note that rental companies typically manage DARB charges on their accounts; confirm this before your trip.
Residents relocating from Dubai ask Oplus regularly about what their daily commute will cost in Abu Dhabi before they commit to a property. The answer has changed since May 2026 because the network now includes two routes where tolls apply around the clock.
What Changed in 2026: Six Gates, No Caps, Different Rules per Gate
DARB entered 2026 with one major update already in place from September 1, 2025, and a second that took effect today.
The September 2025 update, confirmed on admobility.gov.ae, removed the daily and monthly cap on toll charges. Before that date, a private vehicle paid a maximum of AED 16 per day regardless of how many gates it crossed. Monthly limits also applied — AED 200, AED 150, or AED 100 depending on the number of registered vehicles. All of these ceilings are now gone. Every AED 4 crossing counts, with no upper limit. At the same time, the evening peak window extended from 5:00 PM back to 3:00 PM, while morning hours stayed at 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM, Monday through Saturday.
The May 4, 2026 expansion, announced by the Abu Dhabi Media Office, added two gates:
- Al Qurm Toll Gate — on Wahat Al Karama Street at the entry and exit of Sheikh Zayed Street. Alternative routes include Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Street and Arabian Gulf Street.
- Ghantoot Toll Gate — on Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Street (E11) near the Abu Dhabi–Dubai border, targeting inter-emirate traffic. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Street offers an alternative.
Both gates operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. AED 4 applies at midnight on a Sunday the same as at 8:00 AM on a Wednesday. The original four gates charge only during peak hours. Not all six DARB gates follow the same schedule.
The Real Cost Calculation
A driver crossing the Ghantoot gate twice daily — once in each direction — pays AED 8 per day at any hour. Three crossings cost AED 12. With no monthly cap, 20 working days of twice-daily crossings produces AED 160 per month, uncapped. Add a second gate crossing and that figure doubles. For frequent inter-emirate commuters, DARB is now a material monthly expense rather than a capped inconvenience.
This is worth computing before choosing a property. Communities further inside Abu Dhabi, away from inter-emirate corridors, carry lower toll exposure. Properties near the E11 route or the Al Qurm entry do not. When Oplus advises buyers and renters on Abu Dhabi communities, commute cost — including tolls — is part of the location analysis, not an afterthought.
The Six DARB Toll Gate Locations (as of May 4, 2026)
| Gate | Location | Operating Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Al Maqta Toll Gate | Al Maqtaa Bridge | Peak hours only |
| Rabdan Toll Gate | Mussafah Bridge | Peak hours only |
| Sas Al Nakhl Toll Gate | Sheikh Zayed Bridge | Peak hours only |
| Al Saadiyat Toll Gate | Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Bridge | Peak hours only |
| Al Qurm Toll Gate | Wahat Al Karama Street | 24/7 |
| Ghantoot Toll Gate | Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Street | 24/7 |
Peak hours for gates 1–4: 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM, Monday to Saturday. No charge on Sundays or public holidays at these four gates.
How to Register as an Individual
The entire process runs online via darb.itc.gov.ae or the DARB mobile app (available on iOS and Android). Before starting, have your Emirates ID, vehicle number plate, a credit or debit card, and an active mobile number and email address ready.
- Step 1. Select "Individual" under the Create New Account section.
- Step 2. Enter your email address and click Submit.
- Step 3. Enter the OTP sent to your email.
- Step 4. Select the emirate where your vehicle is registered.
- Step 5. Enter your Traffic Code Number — this appears on your vehicle's mulkiya (registration card).
- Step 6. Select your registered mobile number.
- Step 7. Enter the OTP sent to your phone.
- Step 8. Create and confirm a password.
Account creation is now complete. Your wallet starts at AED 50, credited from the AED 100 registration fee. To activate vehicle-level access, log in, select "Register Vehicle," enter the plate details, choose a payment method, and confirm the transaction.
How to Register Company and Commercial Vehicles
Establishments follow the same account creation sequence but select "Establishment" at the first step and enter the company's Traffic Code Number. Additional documentation must be submitted before full access is granted:
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Contact us via WhatsApp- A copy of the company Trade Licence
- A stamped and signed letter from the company naming the corporate representative, their email address, mobile number, and Traffic Code Number
- An Excel file listing all vehicles to be activated, with each vehicle's plate number, code or colour, source, and category
The ITC reviews these documents before the establishment account becomes active. Allow additional processing time for commercial applications.
Migrating a Previously Registered ITC Account
Drivers who registered on the older ITC website — before the DARB platform launched — can move their account over without creating a new one.
- Step 1. Visit darb.itc.gov.ae or open the DARB app.
- Step 2. Log in using your Traffic Number or Emirates ID.
- Step 3. Enter your email and verify via OTP.
- Step 4. Select your registered mobile number and verify via OTP.
- Step 5. Create and confirm a new password.
- Step 6. Add your vehicles and complete activation.
Who Is Exempt from DARB Toll Fees
The following categories qualify for a fee exemption on one registered vehicle, as confirmed in the ITC's May 2026 announcement published by the Abu Dhabi Media Office:
- Senior Emirati citizens
- Retired Emirati citizens
- People of Determination
- Emirati citizens with limited or low income
Qualifying individuals must still create a DARB account. The exemption is not automatic — it requires a formal request through the portal. Log in, go to Requests, select Submit Request, then choose Exemption Request. Specify the sub-service type and vehicle plate number, attach the required supporting documents, and submit. The ITC reviews and approves eligible applications.
The following vehicle types are exempt regardless of owner status: ambulances, army vehicles, public transport, police vehicles, Abu Dhabi licensed taxis, school buses, motorcycles, and towed vehicles.
Fines for Non-Registration and Low Balance
Crossing a DARB gate without a registered account gives you a 10-working-day grace period to complete registration. After that, fines accumulate as follows, per ITC guidelines: AED 100 for the first violation, AED 200 for the second, AED 300 for each subsequent occurrence. Total fines for a single vehicle cannot exceed AED 25,000 per year.
Crossing with insufficient wallet balance carries a separate penalty structure with a short grace period before fines apply. Setting up auto-recharge in your account settings — triggered when your balance drops below a set threshold — eliminates this risk.
FAQs
No. Salik is Dubai's toll system and uses a physical windshield tag; drivers must purchase and fit it before using any Salik gate. DARB covers Abu Dhabi and uses plate recognition cameras only — no physical tag is needed. Both systems charge AED 4 per crossing during their active hours. Drivers commuting between the two emirates may encounter both systems on the same journey, as the Ghantoot gate now sits near the Abu Dhabi–Dubai border.
No. Abu Dhabi-registered vehicles are enrolled in the DARB system automatically when the car registration card is issued. No account creation is required. Vehicles from all other UAE emirates — Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, and Umm Al Quwain — must register independently through darb.itc.gov.ae or the DARB mobile app.
Yes. The Al Qurm and Ghantoot toll gates, operational from May 4, 2026, charge AED 4 per crossing 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This includes Sundays and public holidays. This differs from the original four gates, which only apply the AED 4 charge during peak hours and are free on Sundays and official public holidays.
According to admobility.gov.ae, the four original gates charge during two daily windows: 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM, Monday through Saturday. No fee applies outside these windows, on Sundays, or on official public holidays. The evening window was extended from 5:00 PM to 3:00 PM as of September 1, 2025.
No. The daily cap of AED 16 and all monthly limits were removed on September 1, 2025, as confirmed by the Abu Dhabi Mobility authority. Each crossing is now charged individually at AED 4, with no upper limit per day or per month. Heavy commuters crossing multiple gates — particularly those using the 24/7 Al Qurm or Ghantoot gates — should budget accordingly.
During Ramadan, DARB typically adjusts peak hours to match revised work schedules, with charges applying approximately from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. These timings are confirmed annually on darb.itc.gov.ae; check the portal before Ramadan begins as the schedule can shift each year.
Yes. A single account supports multiple registered vehicles. Each vehicle must be added and activated individually. Your wallet balance must be sufficient to cover simultaneous toll activity across all registered plates. A single individual account cannot be used by unrelated parties or businesses — for company vehicles, an establishment account with separate documentation is required.
Toll exposure varies by location and has increased since the removal of the daily cap and the addition of two 24/7 gates. A property on or near the E11 corridor or the Al Qurm entry to Sheikh Zayed Street now carries a toll cost that applies at all hours. Without a cap, this accumulates differently than it did before September 2025. Buyers and renters considering buying property in Abu Dhabi who commute to or from Dubai should factor in the Ghantoot gate as a fixed daily cost regardless of what time they travel.
Written by: Oplus International Realty Editorial Team
About Oplus: Licensed UAE real estate brokerage based in Abu Dhabi, covering Abu Dhabi and Dubai off-plan, secondary market, and investment properties. RERA registered. oplusrealty.com
Last reviewed: May 4, 2026
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Consult a RERA-licensed professional before any property decision.
Sources: Abu Dhabi Mobility — admobility.gov.ae/en/darb-fees Abu Dhabi Media Office — mediaoffice.abudhabi/en/transport/integrated-transport-centre-abu-dhabi-mobility-introduces-2-new-gates-to-abu-dhabis-darb-toll-gate-system/ DARB Official Portal — darb.itc.gov.ae