Darb Timing Abu Dhabi 2026: Peak Hours, the New 24/7 Gates & Free Days

Last updated: 27th July 2026

Darb no longer works the same way at every gate. Since 4 May 2026, Abu Dhabi has six toll gates instead of four — and the two newest ones, at Ghantoot and Al Qurm, charge AED 4 every single crossing, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. No free off-peak window. No free Sunday. No public holiday exemption.

That is the one thing to take away before anything else, because most guidance still describes the old peak-hours-only system. Drive from Dubai to Abu Dhabi on a Sunday afternoon expecting a free run and you will be charged at Ghantoot.

Darb Timing at a Glance

The fee is AED 4 per crossing at all six gates. What differs is when that fee applies.

The Two 24/7 Gates: Ghantoot and Al Qurm

The Integrated Transport Centre announced these two additions in April 2026, and they went live on 4 May. Both were sited after traffic studies on density and movement patterns, and both target corridors that the original bridge gates never covered.

Ghantoot Toll Gate

Located on Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Street (E11) in the Ghantoot area, close to the Abu Dhabi–Dubai border. This is the gate aimed squarely at inter-emirate traffic, and it is the one most likely to affect you if you commute or travel between the two cities.

Al Qurm Toll Gate

Located on Wahat Al Karama Street, at the entry and exit points of Sheikh Zayed Street — a principal access route into Abu Dhabi city.

Why this matters more than it sounds

The bridge gates were designed to shape commuter behaviour: travel at 11 AM instead of 8 AM and you pay nothing. That logic does not apply at Ghantoot and Al Qurm. There is no cheaper hour, no free day, no holiday reprieve. AED 4 at midnight on a Sunday is the same AED 4 as at 8 AM on a Wednesday.

For a daily Dubai–Abu Dhabi commuter, the arithmetic adds up quickly. A return trip crossing both gates in each direction costs AED 16 a day. Over a five-day week that is AED 80, roughly AED 320 a month, and around AED 3,840 a year. If your route touches only one gate, halve it.

Anyone making that trip regularly may want to look at the Abu Dhabi to Dubai bus service, or at Etihad Rail as it expands across the same corridor.

Routes that avoid the new gates

The ITC confirmed an alternative for each gate when it announced them:

• To avoid Ghantoot — take Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Street (E311) instead of the E11
• To avoid Al Qurm — use Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Street or Arabian Gulf Street to enter or leave the city centre

Both add a few minutes at busy times. Whether that trade is worth AED 4 depends entirely on how often you make the trip.

The Four Bridge Gates

The original gates all sit on crossings linking Abu Dhabi island to the mainland, and they still follow the peak-hours model. All four charge in both directions.

One point of confusion worth clearing up: official notices from Q Mobility use different names from the ones most drivers know. When an Eid announcement lists "Sas Al Nakhl, Al Maqta', Rabdan and Al Saadiyat," those are the four bridge gates.

Bridge gate hours

• Morning peak: 7:00 AM – 9:00 AM, Monday to Saturday
• Evening peak: 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM, Monday to Saturday

The evening window used to run 5:00–7:00 PM. It was extended to start at 3:00 PM on 1 September 2025, which caught out a lot of drivers who had built their routine around the old finish time. If you last checked before that date, your mental model is two hours short.

When Is Darb Actually Free?

This is the most-asked question about the system, and since May 2026 it has had a two-part answer.

At the four bridge gates — free during

• Before 7:00 AM
• 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
• After 7:00 PM
• All day Sunday
• Official public holidays

At Ghantoot and Al Qurm — never

There is no free window at these two gates at any hour, on any day of the year.

Is Darb free on Sunday?

At the bridge gates, yes — all day, and this has not changed. At Ghantoot and Al Qurm, no. Sunday is treated exactly like any other day.

Is Darb charged on Friday?

Yes. Friday is a normal charging day under the Monday-to-Saturday schedule, so the bridge gates charge during both peak windows. This surprises people who remember the pre-2022 UAE weekend. Only Sunday is free.

What about Saturday?

Also charged. Saturday falls inside the Monday-to-Saturday window, so the bridge gates apply the usual 7–9 AM and 3–7 PM fees.

Public holidays and Eid

Bridge gates are suspended during official holidays; the two highway gates are not. Eid Al Adha 2026 is the clearest example of the pattern. Q Mobility confirmed the bridge gates were free from Monday 25 May to Friday 29 May 2026, with charges resuming Saturday 30 May — while Al Qurm and Ghantoot continued charging AED 4 per crossing throughout the entire holiday.

Expect that split to be repeated at every future holiday. Q Mobility publishes a notice ahead of each one.

Darb timing during Ramadan

Peak windows shift during Ramadan to match revised working hours. For Ramadan 2026 the bridge gates charged:

• Morning: 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
• Afternoon: 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM
• Monday to Saturday, with Sundays free as usual

The AED 4 fee is unchanged, and the two highway gates continue at 24/7 regardless. These timings are confirmed annually shortly before the month begins, so check the Darb app or Abu Dhabi Mobility before Ramadan starts rather than assuming last year's schedule carries over.

How to check whether you will be charged right now

For the bridge gates, the rule is simple enough to hold in your head: if it is Sunday, or outside 7–9 AM and 3–7 PM, you are free. For the two highway gates, you are always charged.

For live confirmation, the Darb app shows your crossings and deductions in near real time, and the TAMM platform carries official service notices.

Fees and the End of the Caps

Until September 2025 there was a daily ceiling of AED 16 and monthly ceilings of AED 200, 150 and 100 depending on how many vehicles you had registered. All of those were scrapped. Every crossing is now billed individually with no upper limit.

Some guidance still circulating online cites the AED 16 daily cap. It no longer exists. Combined with the 24/7 gates, that removal is what makes heavy commuting materially more expensive than it was a year ago.

Registering for Darb

Registration is mandatory for any vehicle using the toll roads, including visitors from other emirates.

1. Download the Darb app (iOS or Android), or use the official Abu Dhabi Mobility portal
2. Create a new account and select Individual
3. Enter your email and confirm the OTP sent to it
4. Select the emirate where your vehicle is registered
5. Enter your traffic code number
6. Add your mobile number and confirm the second OTP
7. Set a password
8. Register your vehicle from the dashboard
9. Add a payment method and top up your wallet

Register before you travel. If your vehicle is registered outside Abu Dhabi, you have a grace period of 10 working days from your first crossing — but leaving it to chance is a poor bet now that the Ghantoot gate catches inter-emirate traffic around the clock.

Topping up

Credit or debit card, through the app or the portal. Auto-recharge is worth enabling — it refills the wallet automatically when the balance drops below a threshold you set, which removes the main cause of avoidable fines. Your Darb wallet can also pay Mawaqif parking fees.

Fines

Driving unregistered

If you cross a gate without registering and do not register within 10 working days:

• First day: AED 100
• Second day: AED 200
• Third day onward: AED 400

Insufficient balance

For vehicles registered outside Abu Dhabi, there is a five-working-day grace period to settle a shortfall. After that, AED 50 per day applies.

Plate tampering

Obscuring, altering or covering a number plate to defeat the cameras carries severe penalties and is treated as a serious offence, not a toll dispute.

Who Is Exempt

Automatic — no application needed

• Ambulances
• Police vehicles with official plates or markings
• Armed forces vehicles
• Civil defence vehicles
• Public buses carrying more than 26 passengers
• School buses
• Taxis
• Motorcycles

On application — one vehicle per person

• People of Determination
• Senior citizens
• Retired citizens
• Low-income citizens

These exemptions were explicitly confirmed to continue at the two new gates when they were announced. Applications go through the Darb app or portal with supporting documents, and the ITC reviews each one.

Darb and Salik: What Actually Differs

Both are electronic road tolls, both charge AED 4 as a base, and neither works in the other emirate. Beyond that they are built on different logic.

You need a separate account for each. A Salik tag does nothing in Abu Dhabi, and a Darb account does nothing in Dubai. Our complete Salik guide covers the Dubai side.

Reducing What You Pay

Shift your bridge crossings. Between 9 AM and 3 PM, and after 7 PM, the four bridge gates cost nothing. Errands, appointments and non-urgent trips fit neatly into those windows.

Use Sundays for the island. Bridge gates are free all day. It remains the best day of the week for family trips and bigger shopping runs — just remember it buys you nothing at Ghantoot or Al Qurm.

Reroute around the 24/7 gates if you cross them often. The E311 alternative to Ghantoot and the Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Street alternative to Al Qurm cost minutes, not dirhams. At AED 3,840 a year for a twice-daily two-gate commute, a few minutes starts to look reasonable.

Turn on auto-recharge. The fastest way to turn a AED 4 toll into a AED 50 daily fine is an empty wallet you forgot about.

Consider not driving it. For the Dubai corridor specifically, the Abu Dhabi to Dubai bus and the Al Ain to Dubai bus remove tolls, fuel and parking from the equation entirely.

Carpool. One car through the gate instead of three is the same toll split three ways.

Checking Your Balance

Through the Darb app, your balance sits on the main dashboard alongside a full crossing history — useful for confirming which gate charged you and when. The official portal and the TAMM platform offer the same, and digital services run around the clock.

Set a low-balance notification. It is the single most effective thing you can do to avoid fines.

Getting Help

Support runs through the Darb app, the TAMM platform and admobility.gov.ae. Customer Happiness Centre hours change around public holidays and Ramadan, so check current times through official channels rather than relying on a figure published elsewhere.

Only ever use official channels. Sites offering to pay Darb fines or register vehicles on your behalf are not affiliated with Q Mobility or the ITC.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Darb toll gate timing today?

It depends which gate. The four bridge gates — Sas Al Nakhl, Al Maqta', Rabdan and Al Saadiyat — charge AED 4 from Monday to Saturday between 7:00 and 9:00 AM and between 3:00 and 7:00 PM, and are free at all other times, all day Sunday and on public holidays. The Ghantoot and Al Qurm gates charge AED 4 for every crossing, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with no free periods.

Is Darb 24 hours?

Partly. Since 4 May 2026, the Ghantoot and Al Qurm gates operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, charging AED 4 on every crossing including Sundays and public holidays. The four original bridge gates still charge only during peak hours, Monday to Saturday.

Is Darb free on Sunday?

At the four bridge gates, yes — Sunday is free all day. At Ghantoot and Al Qurm it is not. Those two gates charge AED 4 per crossing on Sundays exactly as on any other day.

Is Darb charged on Friday?

Yes. Friday falls within the Monday-to-Saturday charging schedule, so the bridge gates apply the AED 4 fee during both peak windows. Only Sunday is free at those gates. Ghantoot and Al Qurm charge on Friday as they do every day.

How much is the Darb toll fee in 2026?

AED 4 per crossing at every gate. Vehicle registration costs AED 100, of which AED 50 is credited to your wallet as opening balance. There is no daily or monthly cap — both were removed on 1 September 2025, so every crossing is billed individually with no upper limit.

Where are the Ghantoot and Al Qurm toll gates?

The Ghantoot gate is on Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Street (E11) in the Ghantoot area, near the Abu Dhabi–Dubai border, and mainly affects traffic between the two emirates. The Al Qurm gate is on Wahat Al Karama Street at the entry and exit of Sheikh Zayed Street, covering a key route into Abu Dhabi city. Both went live on 4 May 2026.

How can I avoid the new Darb toll gates?

To avoid Ghantoot, use Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Street (E311) rather than the E11. To avoid Al Qurm, enter or leave the city via Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Street or Arabian Gulf Street. Both alternatives were confirmed by the ITC and add a few minutes at busy times.

Can I enter Abu Dhabi without Darb?

You can drive into Abu Dhabi without passing a toll gate by choosing a route that avoids all six, but any vehicle using the toll roads must be registered on the Darb system. If you do cross a gate unregistered, you have 10 working days to register before fines begin at AED 100 and rise to AED 400.

Is Darb free during public holidays?

At the four bridge gates, yes. At Ghantoot and Al Qurm, no. During Eid Al Adha 2026, the bridge gates were free from 25 to 29 May with charges resuming on 30 May, while Al Qurm and Ghantoot continued charging AED 4 per crossing throughout the holiday.

What is the Darb timing during Ramadan?

Peak hours shift to match revised working schedules. During Ramadan 2026 the bridge gates charged between 8:00 and 10:00 AM and between 2:00 and 6:00 PM, Monday to Saturday, with Sundays free. The AED 4 fee was unchanged and the two highway gates continued operating 24/7. Timings are confirmed each year shortly before Ramadan begins.

What is the fine for not registering with Darb?

After the 10-working-day grace period from your first crossing, fines are AED 100 on the first day, AED 200 on the second, and AED 400 from the third day onward. Separately, vehicles registered outside Abu Dhabi with an insufficient wallet balance get a five-working-day grace period, after which AED 50 per day applies.

Do I need to slow down at a Darb gate?

No. Maintain the posted speed. Darb uses overhead cameras reading your number plate, with no barriers, booths or physical tags involved.

Can I use my Dubai Salik tag for Darb?

No. Darb and Salik are entirely separate systems run by different authorities. Darb reads number plates and requires no tag at all, while Salik uses an RFID windscreen tag. If you drive in both emirates you need an account with each.

Are rental cars registered for Darb automatically?

Yes. Rental companies register their fleets, and any tolls you incur are billed to you afterwards, usually with an administrative fee on top. Check the rental agreement for that surcharge, as it varies between companies and can exceed the toll itself.

Is there still a daily cap on Darb charges?

No. The AED 16 daily cap and the monthly caps of AED 200, 150 and 100 were all removed on 1 September 2025. Every crossing is charged at AED 4 with no ceiling. Guidance still quoting the AED 16 daily maximum is out of date.

The Bottom Line

Darb is now two systems wearing one name. The four bridge gates still reward planning — shift a trip to midday or Sunday and you pay nothing. The two highway gates at Ghantoot and Al Qurm reward nothing at all; the only way past them without paying is a different road.

If you cross those gates occasionally, AED 4 is not worth restructuring your day over. If you cross them twice daily, the annual figure is close to AED 4,000 and the E311 alternative deserves a serious look — as does leaving the car behind for that corridor entirely.

Timings shift around Ramadan and public holidays, and the network has already grown from four gates to six in under a year. Check the Darb app before travelling if the cost matters to your trip.

Spotted a change, or been charged somewhere unexpected? Email tips@shazcars.com — we keep this guide updated as Q Mobility revises the schedule.