Salik Company, the sole toll gate operator in Dubai, provided in the first quarter of 2024 122.8 million revenue-generating trips, which led to a total revenue of AED562 million ($153 million). This signifies an 8.1 percent year-over-year (YoY) increase, which is the highest number of revenue-generating trips for the first quarter since the company was founded. The toll usage revenue, which represents 87.4 percent of the total revenue, also grew by 8.1 percent YoY to AED491 million ($133.67 million).
The Salik’s growth was enabled by the ongoing increase in tourism and residency, with Dubai still being a popular place for both visitors and new residents.
Chairman Mattar Al Tayer said that he was happy with the outcome, he emphasized the company’s strategic vision and its commitment to the long-term value to the shareholders.
Mobility highlights
In terms of mobility highlights, Salik experienced an 8.1 percent YoY growth in revenue-generating trips, reaching a total of 122.8 million trips in Q1 2024.
The overall number of trips, including discounted trips, through Salik’s eight toll gates increased by 6.2 percent YoY, driven by Dubai’s appeal to tourists and normal commercial activities.
The Al Maktoum Bridge gate witnessed a significant 49.0 percent YoY increase in revenue-generating trips, attributed to the closure of the nearby Floating Bridge and the redirection of traffic. Similarly, the Al Garhoud Bridge recorded a 9.1 percent YoY increase. Excluding both bridges, Salik saw a 5.3 percent YoY growth in revenue-generating trips during the first quarter. Several other gates, such as Jebel Ali, Airport Tunnel, and Al Mamzar North, also experienced growth in the high-single-digit range. The number of active accounts grew by over 16 percent, reaching a new record high, while registered vehicles increased by 9.2 percent YoY to 4.1 million.
Growth in active accounts, registered vehicles
The data shows that around 2.5 million active accounts were registered in Q1 2024 which, in turn, caused a 16.5 percent YoY increase compared to the same period in 2023. The tags activity also rose by nearly 13 percent of the year, totaling around 242,000 tags in the first quarter. Besides, the vehicle registration with Salik increased by 9.2 percent YoY, which is the clear evidence of Dubai’s successful activities in the field of the economy and tourism and the attraction of the new residents.
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Salik still gave drivers, cars for charities, schools, disabled people, ambulances, and other public services discounts on the tariffs. The number of toll-free trips of exempted vehicles through Salik’s toll gates rose by 5,1 percent YoY to nearly 2.1 million in Q1 2024. This is the result of the uptrend in the number of registered exempted vehicles, which equals to 53,819 by the end of the quarter, meaning a 10 percent YoY increase.
