Dubai truck restrictions are route-specific
Dubai does not apply one simple truck-ban timetable to every heavy vehicle on every road. RTA describes heavy-vehicle movement restrictions according to the road, area, direction and time.
RTA's current Mobility Permit service says heavy vehicles cannot circulate on roads not intended for them or during banned periods without the appropriate permit. The permit is specifically designed for limited cases involving banned routes, banned times and banned areas.
Heavy Vehicle Route & Permit Checker
This tool checks whether your selected situation should be reviewed for an RTA restricted-route mobility permit. It intentionally does not invent a universal weight-based truck-ban rule.
A Heavy Vehicle Mobility Permit may be required
RTA provides a specific Mobility Permit for Heavy Vehicles in Banned Times and Roads. The permit allows eligible companies and contractors to circulate heavy vehicles in limited cases on restricted roads, during restricted times and in restricted areas.
RTA Mobility Permit
| Service: | Mobility Permit for Heavy Vehicles in Banned Times and Roads |
| Eligibility: | Companies and contractors |
| Permit fee: | AED 50 / vehicle / month |
| Knowledge & Innovation: | AED 20 |
| Total: | AED 70 / vehicle / month |
| Service time: | 3 working days |
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Current Dubai heavy-vehicle restriction patterns
RTA's published truck-restriction information makes clear that the timetable varies according to the road and area. These are examples of the published patterns and should not be treated as one universal ban for all Dubai roads.
| Road / area example | Published restriction pattern | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Medium-congestion urban roads | 6:30–8:30 AM; 1:00–3:00 PM; 5:30–8:00 PM | RTA's published examples include Airport Street, Oman Street and Damascus Street. |
| Sheikh Zayed Road / certain residential areas | 6:00 AM–10:00 PM | RTA's published restriction announcement identifies these as subject to a substantially longer daily restriction. |
| Emirates Road toward Sharjah | 5:30–8:00 PM | The restriction covers the section between Al Awir Street and Sharjah in the specified direction. |
| Al Ittihad Street, Meydan Street & crossings | Heavy-vehicle movement prohibited | RTA's published announcement describes these as major roads with truck restrictions rather than applying a simple peak-hour rule. |
RTA can change or temporarily suspend restrictions. For example, in March 2026, RTA temporarily allowed trucks on most Dubai roads around the clock through the evening of March 4, while Airport Tunnel and Al Shindagha Tunnel remained restricted; normal restrictions resumed March 5.
RTA Mobility Permit for Heavy Vehicles
The current RTA service is specifically titled Mobility Permit for Heavy Vehicles in Banned Times and Roads. It is intended for eligible companies and contractors needing limited access to banned routes, banned times or banned areas such as the City Centre.
| Item | Current RTA information |
|---|---|
| Applicants | Companies and contractors. |
| Permit fee | AED 50 per vehicle per month. |
| Knowledge & Innovation | AED 20. |
| Total listed fee | AED 70 per vehicle per month. |
| Processing time | 3 working days. |
| Documents | Depending on the application: project contract, affection plan, vehicle registration certificate for vehicles not registered in Dubai, and company NOC where the applicant is using a vehicle it does not own. |
Vehicle licensing & commercial transport
A heavy vehicle needs more than permission to travel on a restricted road. The operator must also satisfy the applicable vehicle registration, inspection, driver licence, commercial activity and RTA licensing requirements.
Weight is not the only legal variable
Vehicle weight can determine the applicable driving-licence or vehicle category, but it is not a safe substitute for determining whether a particular Dubai road is restricted to trucks. The road restriction, vehicle type, load, direction and purpose all matter.
Commercial Salik and fleet tolling
Salik is Dubai's electronic tolling system. Commercial and fleet operators can use Salik accounts and technology integrations, but the old statement that every company operating five or more commercial vehicles must register for an "RTA Corporate Salik account" is not supported by the current official Salik material.
| Topic | Current position |
|---|---|
| Salik account | Salik is a separate tolling service and users can manage vehicle/account details through Salik channels. |
| Fleet management | Salik provides APIs and integrations for fleet and car-rental companies to facilitate billing and fleet management. |
| Five-vehicle rule | Do not publish as a universal current legal threshold. |
| Truck movement restriction | Salik compliance does not replace RTA's separate truck-route and mobility-permit requirements. |
Dangerous goods and hazardous-material transport
Dangerous-goods transport should be treated as a separate regulatory workflow from an ordinary heavy-truck permit. The correct approval chain depends on the actual material, vehicle, quantity, route, loading/unloading method and whether storage is also involved.
Potential regulatory areas
Before dispatch
Special and oversized loads
Oversized or special-load vehicles have a different permit framework from the ordinary heavy-vehicle mobility permit. RTA's special-load service distinguishes large-sized loads from special loads according to dimensions, weight and length, and requires vehicle/load information and supporting documents.
| Category | Published RTA characteristics |
|---|---|
| Large-sized load | Width below 3.5 m and height below 4 m under the cited RTA service definition. |
| Special load | Weight above 60 tonnes, width above 3.5 m, height above 4 m or length above 20 m. |
| Permit | RTA provides a dedicated oversized/special-load permit process, separate from ordinary heavy-vehicle movement restrictions. |
RTA's current special-load service has its own permit and fee structure; operators should not substitute the ordinary AED 70/month heavy-vehicle mobility permit for a special-load permit where the load characteristics require one.
Operational checklist for Dubai truck operators
Common mistakes to avoid
Frequently Asked Questions
Official primary sources
Dubai heavy-vehicle restrictions can be changed by RTA and Dubai Police for particular roads, directions, events, safety conditions or temporary logistics measures. Always verify the current RTA route restriction and permit requirement immediately before scheduling a heavy vehicle journey.