Dubai's Salik reports 'gradual rebound' after 40 million fewer journeys in first half of year
The head of Dubai's road toll operator said traffic returned to “near-normal levels” in June – after a sharp decline in journeys due to the Iran war. Salik recorded 383.8 million trips across its network in the first half of 2026, a 9.5 per cent drop on the 424.2 million in the corresponding period last year. The outbreak of the Iran war on February 28 prompted a decline in the number of vehicles…
Dubai's road toll operator, Salik, reported a "gradual rebound" in traffic usage after a decline of 40 million fewer journeys in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025. The decrease was attributed to the Iran war, fewer tourists, a shift to remote work, and remote learning in schools. Salik CEO Ibrahim Al Haddad noted a resurgence in April and May, with June traffic volumes returning to near-normal levels.
The first half of 2026 saw 383.8 million trips, a 9.5% drop from 424.2 million in the same period last year. Salik's active registered accounts rose to 2.9 million, matching Dubai's population growth. Revenue decreased by 7.5% to Dh1.412 billion, and net profit fell by 3.1% to Dh704 million. Public transport usage also declined by 12% to 348.1 million trips.
The increase in road traffic was due to the population growth in Dubai, which rose to 4.74 million by the end of June, marking a 1.3% increase.
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