Traffic volumes at Dubai’s Salik toll gates began to recover in the second quarter of 2026, following a notable decline earlier in the year linked to regional disruptions that started in late February. After a gradual rebound in April and May, traffic levels nearly returned to normal by June, helping to mitigate some of the financial impacts sustained during the first half.

Salik reported a net profit before tax of 773.6 million dirhams for the first six months of 2026, representing an 8.7 percent decrease compared to the same period the previous year. The company’s second-quarter profit before tax fell more sharply, by 16.4 percent to 367.9 million dirhams, although this was partly offset by reduced net finance costs.

Net profit after tax stood at 704 million dirhams for the first half of 2026, down 8.7 percent from 770.9 million dirhams a year earlier. Despite the decline, Salik was able to sustain a relatively stable profit margin of 49.9 percent, only slightly lower than the 50.5 percent recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.

Traffic through Salik’s toll gates, including discounted trips, totaled 383.8 million journeys during the first six months of 2026. This was a 9.5 percent decrease from 424.2 million trips registered in the first half of 2025. The number of chargeable trips dropped by a greater margin of 12.5 percent, falling to 278.5 million. These comprised 102.9 million trips during off-peak periods charged at six dirhams and 146.2 million off-peak trips charged at four dirhams.

In the second quarter alone, total trips decreased by 12.6 percent year-on-year to 186.6 million, while chargeable trips declined 17.2 percent to 132.8 million.

The downturn in traffic and revenue has been attributed to “exceptional regional events” beginning in late February 2026, which disrupted normal mobility patterns in Dubai. However, the subsequent recovery indicated a steady return to pre-disruption traffic volumes by midyear, providing a more optimistic outlook for Salik's performance moving forward.