Most Abu Dhabi drivers still think of Darb as a rush-hour thing: cross a bridge at 8am, pay AED 4, forget about it by lunchtime. That has not been the whole picture since 4 May 2026, when two new gates went live at Ghantoot and Al Qurm – and unlike the four bridge gates, these two charge around the clock. Sunday afternoon, midnight, a public holiday: AED 4 either way.
Here is the whole system as it actually works now, including the caps that quietly disappeared in 2025 and the fines that catch people who never got round to registering.
What You Pay
AED 4 per crossing. That is the entire pricing structure, and it applies at every gate.
The important change is what is no longer there. Until 1 September 2025 there was a AED 16 daily ceiling and a monthly ceiling that started at AED 200 for your first vehicle. Abu Dhabi Mobility removed both. There is now no maximum limit on what a private vehicle can be charged in a day or a month – if you cross eight times in a peak week, you pay for eight crossings.
WOW Expert Tip: If you last worked out your monthly toll budget before September 2025, redo it. A twice-daily commuter who used to cap out at AED 200 a month can now run past AED 350 in a heavy month with no ceiling to stop it.
When You Pay: The Two-Speed System
This is where the confusion sits. Abu Dhabi now runs two kinds of gate on two different clocks.
| Gate type | When it charges | When it is free |
|---|---|---|
| The four bridge gates Sheikh Zayed, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, Al Maqtaa, Mussafah | 7:00 to 9:00 and 15:00 to 19:00, every day except Sunday | Sundays, official holidays, and all off-peak hours |
| The two new gates Ghantoot, Al Qurm | 24 hours a day, seven days a week | Never |
Note the evening window on the bridges. It used to be 17:00 to 19:00 and was pushed forward to 15:00 in September 2025, which means the school run now lands squarely inside a charging period. If your mental model still says “I am fine before five”, it is costing you.
Off-peak on the bridges means 9:00 to 15:00 and 19:00 through to 7:00 the next morning. Sundays are free all day. Official public holidays are free all day.
Where the Six Gates Are
The original four all sit on the bridges connecting Abu Dhabi island to the mainland: Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Bridge, Al Maqtaa Bridge and Mussafah Bridge.
Al Qurm Toll Gate is on Wahat Al Karama Street, at the entrance and exit of Sheikh Zayed Street.
Ghantoot Toll Gate is on Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Street in Ghantoot, near the Dubai border – which makes it the one that matters if you commute between the two emirates.
The free routes around the new gates
Abu Dhabi Mobility published alternatives alongside both gates. To avoid Al Qurm, use Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Street or Arabian Gulf Street. To avoid Ghantoot, use Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Street. Whether the detour is worth AED 4 depends on your traffic tolerance, but the option exists and is officially sanctioned.
Registering, and the Fines If You Do Not
Every vehicle using Abu Dhabi roads needs a Darb account. You register through the official Darb portal, the Darb app or TAMM, using your Emirates ID, traffic file number, vehicle details and phone number. Accounts run on a prepaid wallet – the same wallet that now pays for Free Flow parking.
The penalties for skipping registration escalate fast, and they are per crossing:
| Violation | Fine |
|---|---|
| Unregistered vehicle, first offence | AED 100 |
| Unregistered vehicle, second offence | AED 200 |
| Unregistered vehicle, third and after | AED 400 each |
| Insufficient balance, vehicles registered outside Abu Dhabi | AED 50 per transaction |
| Tampering with a number plate to dodge the toll | AED 10,000 |
| Damaging a toll gate or payment machine | AED 10,000 |
There are grace periods before the meter starts: 10 working days on unregistered vehicles, 5 working days on insufficient balance. Accumulated violations are capped at AED 10,000 per single violation and AED 25,000 across a calendar year from your first offence.
WOW Expert Tip: Switch on auto top-up in the Darb app rather than remembering to recharge. With the caps gone and two gates running 24/7, a wallet that empties on a Thursday night is a genuinely expensive mistake.
Who Is Exempt
Two categories. Automatic exemptions cover public transport buses, school buses, ambulances, police vehicles, civil defence units and motorcycles – no application needed.
Applied-for exemptions cover one vehicle each for senior citizens, People of Determination, retired citizens and low-income citizens. You apply through the Darb website or app, and it is one vehicle per eligible person, not per household vehicle fleet.
Ramadan and Public Holidays
Peak windows on the bridge gates shift during Ramadan to match adjusted working hours, and Abu Dhabi Mobility confirms the exact timings each year shortly before the month begins. Do not assume last year’s windows still apply – check the Darb app in the week before Ramadan starts.
Official public holidays are free on the bridge gates. The Ghantoot and Al Qurm gates are not – 24/7 means 24/7, holidays included.
Frequently Asked Questions
AED 4 per crossing at every gate. Daily and monthly caps were removed on 1 September 2025, so there is no longer any maximum limit on what a private vehicle can be charged in a day or a month.
The four bridge gates charge from 7:00 to 9:00 and 15:00 to 19:00 every day except Sunday. Outside those windows, on Sundays and on official holidays they are free. The Ghantoot and Al Qurm gates are different: they charge 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
On the four bridge gates, yes – Sundays are free all day, as are official public holidays. The two gates added in May 2026 at Ghantoot and Al Qurm charge every day including Sundays and holidays.
Six. The original four sit on Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Bridge, Al Maqtaa Bridge and Mussafah Bridge. Two more opened on 4 May 2026 at Ghantoot and Al Qurm.
Fines escalate per crossing: AED 100 for the first offence, AED 200 for the second, then AED 400 for each one after that. A grace period of 10 working days applies before fines start being issued.
Toll rates, timings and fines verified against Abu Dhabi Mobility and the Abu Dhabi Media Office. Last checked 9 September 2026. We update this page whenever the tariff or gate network changes.
