Dubai: Jordan is preparing to roll out its first nationwide toll road system in a bid to modernize infrastructure and ease congestion, officials and contractors familiar with the plans told Roya News.The system, to be branded “Salik Jordan,” is expected to launch in the last quarter of 2025. Hints of the project emerged earlier this year when electronic gates were spotted on the Muqer-Omari Road, a key highway linking Amman with Saudi Arabia. Jordanian officials said the system will mirror successful models in the UAE, Morocco, Egypt and parts of Europe, combining automated tolling with the option of free alternative roads.“Salik Jordan is designed to save time and money for citizens while ensuring that all road users retain free access if they choose,” one official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.Dubai’s “Salik,” introduced in 2007, is widely credited with reducing congestion and reinvesting revenue into expanding the city’s transport network. Abu Dhabi’s “Darb” system has similarly regulated traffic in dense urban corridors. In Morocco, toll roads now stretch more than 1,800 kilometers, knitting together major cities and supporting logistics. Egypt has integrated tolls into its wider strategy of infrastructure modernization, with systems in place on routes such as the Cairo-Alexandria Desert Road.Jordan’s program is intended to follow that trajectory. Sources said the revenues will help fund maintenance and future development, easing pressure on the state budget while aligning the kingdom with international standards in transport efficiency and sustainability.Proposed studies suggest small vehicles will pay 11 fils per kilometer, while trucks and buses will be charged 22 fils per kilometer. The government insists that alternative free roads will remain available, a step aimed at avoiding backlash in a country where fuel prices and transport costs are sensitive political issues.If launched on schedule, the new toll system will represent one of the most significant overhauls of Jordan’s road infrastructure in decades.