Middle East and Africa Electronic Toll Collection Market Outlook, 2030

The Middle East and Africa (MEA) electric toll collection (ETC) industry is in a dynamic yet relatively nascent stage, characterized by a mix of bold modernization initiatives and persistent structural challenges. As countries across the region grapple with exploding urban populations, rising car ownership, and strained transport infrastructure, ETC is increasingly seen as an essential tool for managing congestion, improving revenue collection, and supporting economic growth.

In the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries especially, governments have been investing heavily in next-generation road infrastructure, with the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar exploring or implementing electronic tolling systems to streamline traffic flow and reduce reliance on manual cash-based toll booths. Meanwhile, parts of Africa are beginning to test pilot ETC solutions, though widespread adoption remains limited due to funding shortfalls, policy gaps, and technological capacity constraints. the Middle East and Africa ETC market holds enormous long-term potential.

The region’s population growth, rapid urbanization, and expanding middle class are fueling a dramatic rise in private vehicle ownership, which will strain transport systems even more in the years ahead. Policymakers are increasingly aware that traditional tolling models are inadequate to meet these pressures and are looking to ETC as part of a broader package of smart mobility and sustainability solutions. There is also a strong interest in using ETC to better manage road pricing schemes and encourage greener vehicles, supporting broader environmental objectives in line with climate commitments and carbon neutrality targets.

According to the research report “Middle East & Africa Electric Toll Collection (ETC) Market Outlook, 2030” the Middle East & Africa Electric Toll Collection market is projected to add USD 340 Million from 2025 to 2030.In the Middle East, the push for ETC is closely tied to ambitious visions for smart cities and sustainable urban mobility. Dubai, for example, has long operated its Salik electronic tolling system, which uses radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to allow free-flow traffic through key routes, reducing congestion and slashing travel times.

As Dubai continues to expand its infrastructure in line with its smart city roadmap, integrating ETC with other intelligent transport systems such as real-time traffic monitoring, dynamic congestion charging, and connected vehicle infrastructure is a priority. Saudi Arabia, too, has launched plans for major ETC deployments, particularly as part of its Vision 2030 initiative, which envisions a world-class, digitized transport network. These efforts align with the region’s desire to diversify economies away from oil dependence and invest in technologically advanced, sustainable infrastructure.

Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain are also evaluating ETC frameworks, recognizing the potential of these systems to modernize highway management, improve air quality, and enhance user convenience. The Middle East and Africa ETC industry is likely to benefit from partnerships with global technology providers, who can deliver expertise, equipment, and integrated platforms adapted to local conditions. Mobile payments, which have seen explosive growth in parts of Africa, could serve as an ideal backbone for ETC systems, reaching a broader population without requiring costly banking infrastructure.

Governments may also leverage lessons from successful ETC deployments in Europe and Asia, adopting proven standards and regulatory frameworks to accelerate implementation while ensuring data privacy and cybersecurity. As connected and autonomous vehicles gradually appear on regional roads, ETC systems will also have to evolve to support seamless, automated toll payments and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication.

Market Drivers

• Ambitious Smart City and National Transformation Agendas: Gulf countries in particular such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar are pursuing large-scale smart city visions (e.g., Dubai Smart City, Saudi Vision 2030) where ETC is a key part of modern, tech-enabled transport systems designed to reduce congestion, improve revenue collection, and support economic diversification.
• Need for Reliable and Transparent Revenue Collection: Across MEA, ETC offers a vital way to reduce revenue leakages and corruption that have historically plagued manual toll collection systems, providing a more consistent and auditable funding stream for maintaining and expanding road infrastructure.

Market Challenges

• Limited Infrastructure and Technical Capacity in Many African Countries: In large parts of Africa, road networks are underdeveloped, and there is a shortage of technical skills and telecommunications infrastructure to deploy and maintain ETC systems, making rollouts costly and difficult to sustain.
• Public Trust and Data Privacy Concerns: The introduction of ETC systems that track vehicle movements can raise suspicion and resistance from the public, who may worry about surveillance or misuse of personal data especially in regions with weaker data protection laws.

Market Trends

• Mobile Payment Integration to Boost Access: Given the widespread adoption of mobile money across Africa, ETC systems are increasingly looking to integrate with mobile wallets to reach unbanked or underbanked populations, making toll payments more inclusive and accessible.
• Regional Cooperation and Standardization Initiatives: With cross-border trade growing, there is a trend toward regional discussions about standardizing ETC technologies and policies to support smoother freight movement and greater interoperability across neighboring countries.

Transponder/tag-based tolling is leading in the Middle East & Africa because it delivers a straightforward, reliable, and easy-to-implement solution that fits the region’s priorities of modernizing infrastructure quickly while overcoming gaps in enforcement, cash handling, and technical capacity.

Many Middle Eastern and African countries are working to transition from legacy cash-based toll booths, which are prone to fraud, revenue leakage, and operational bottlenecks, toward modern, technology-driven systems. Transponder-based ETC, typically using RFID technology, offers a practical and scalable path to achieve this. These systems are simple for drivers to adopt, require minimal roadside infrastructure compared to camera-based license plate recognition, and function reliably even in environments where telecommunications networks and data systems are still developing.

In the Gulf states, for example, RFID transponders have been deployed in systems like Dubai’s Salik to reduce congestion and enable barrier-free travel in fast-growing smart city corridors. In parts of Africa, where infrastructure gaps are significant, tags provide a cost-effective, user-friendly means to move away from cash while still enabling secure, traceable toll collection. With a single, durable tag, users can prepay or link their accounts through mobile money or bank services, making adoption easier across diverse income groups.

RFID is leading in the Middle East & Africa’s electric toll collection industry because it offers a cost-effective, reliable, and easy-to-implement technology that supports quick modernization of toll systems while working well in regions with limited infrastructure and technical resources.

Many countries in the Middle East and Africa are moving away from outdated, cash-heavy toll collection methods that suffer from inefficiency, fraud, and long queues. RFID-based systems provide a straightforward and robust way to automate tolling, requiring minimal roadside infrastructure compared to camera-based license plate recognition or satellite tolling systems. This is particularly valuable in regions where telecommunication networks and back-office systems are still developing, as RFID is less dependent on complex data connectivity and can deliver high read accuracy even under challenging weather or road conditions.

In Gulf nations like the UAE, RFID tolling has been successfully deployed in programs like Dubai’s Salik to enable barrier-free travel and support smart city ambitions, while in parts of Africa, the technology’s affordability and ease of adoption make it suitable for pilots or gradual rollouts. Its compatibility with mobile money platforms also helps extend ETC to unbanked populations, promoting inclusivity while modernizing revenue collection.

Hardware-based tolling systems are leading in the Middle East & Africa because they deliver a dependable, rugged, and easy-to-maintain infrastructure solution that supports rapid modernization goals while adapting to the region’s challenging environments and infrastructure gaps.

Many countries across the Middle East and Africa are shifting from legacy cash-based or manually operated tolling toward modern ETC solutions, and hardware such as RFID gantries, sensors, cameras, and vehicle classification equipment offers a highly practical path to achieve that transformation. These hardware systems provide consistent, high-accuracy vehicle identification and transaction processing, even under demanding conditions like extreme heat, sandstorms, or heavy traffic. This physical resilience is critical in areas with harsh climates and where maintenance resources may be limited, ensuring long-term operational stability and minimal downtime.

Additionally, hardware-based tolling makes enforcement more transparent and traceable, helping build public trust in fair toll collection and reducing fraud or corruption historically associated with cash tolling. These systems also integrate well with the growing mobile money and digital payments ecosystem in Africa, and with smart city initiatives in the Gulf, creating a seamless transition to modern transport infrastructure.

The UAE is leading in the Middle East & Africa electric toll collection industry because it has strategically invested in modern, fully electronic tolling systems to support its smart city ambitions and manage rapid urban growth with efficient, seamless mobility solutions.

The United Arab Emirates, and Dubai in particular, has positioned itself as a regional technology and infrastructure leader with visionary projects aimed at building smart, connected cities. The UAE’s flagship Salik system is a prime example of this leadership: a fully electronic, RFID-based toll collection solution that eliminates cash payments and manual barriers altogether. Introduced in 2007, Salik was designed to combat severe traffic congestion on Dubai’s busy highways while aligning with the emirate’s broader smart mobility and digital governance strategies.

By using RFID tags that automatically deduct tolls as vehicles pass under gantries at highway speeds, Salik dramatically improved traffic flow, reduced idling emissions, and enhanced travel predictability. The UAE’s wealth, supportive regulatory environment, and centralized decision-making enabled rapid rollout and public acceptance of these systems. Additionally, the system’s integration with online and mobile payment platforms has made it easy for residents and visitors to recharge and manage accounts, fitting perfectly into the UAE’s push for cashless, digitally enabled services.

Considered in this report

• Historic Year: 2019
• Base year: 2024
• Estimated year: 2025
• Forecast year: 2030

Aspects covered in this report

• Electronic Toll Collection Market with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Various drivers and challenges
• On-going trends and developments
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation

By Type

• Transponders/Tag Based Tolling Systems
• Others (Video, ANPR, GNSS)

By Technology

• RFID
• DSRC
• Others (GNSS, ANPR, Mobile Tolling)

By Application

• Highways
• Urban Areas

The approach of the report:

This report consists of a combined approach of primary as well as secondary research. Initially, secondary research was used to get an understanding of the market and listing out the companies that are present in the market. The secondary research consists of third-party sources such as press releases, annual report of companies, analyzing the government generated reports and databases.

After gathering the data from secondary sources primary research was conducted by making telephonic interviews with the leading players about how the market is functioning and then conducted trade calls with dealers and distributors of the market. Post this we have started doing primary calls to consumers by equally segmenting consumers in regional aspects, tier aspects, age group, and gender. Once we have primary data with us we have started verifying the details obtained from secondary sources.

Intended audience

This report can be useful to industry consultants, manufacturers, suppliers, associations & organizations related to this industry, government bodies and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies. In addition to marketing & presentations, it will also increase competitive knowledge about the industry.