People relieved as fuel rates go down for second month in a row
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Dubai resident Mohammed Yaseen is relieved and jubilant at the same time as UAE slashes fuel prices for September. “This is the best news,” said Mohammed Yaseen. “I will be spending almost Dh500 less than what I paid in July on fuel this month. This is a huge relief when other costs are going up.”
The UAE on Wednesday slashed fuel prices by 62 fils per litre for the month of September in line with global rates.
For the Syrian expat, the bulk of his cost comes from his wife’s commute from Dubai to Sharjah. “She studies and works in Sharjah,” he said. “Also, her parents live there. So, we drive a lot from our house in Dubai Sports City to Sharjah during the week. I fill up my fuel tank about twice a week. The drop in prices has been really helpful for me. Now I just hope that the prices of groceries and essentials will drop accordingly.”
Starting today, Super 98 petrol will cost Dh3.41 a litre, compared to Dh4.03 in August. Special 95 petrol will cost Dh3.30 per litre, compared to Dh3.92, E-Plus 91 petrol will cost Dh3.22 a litre, compared to Dh3.84 a litre and diesel will be charged at Dh3.87 a litre compared to Dh4.14 last month.
“In the last two months, the drop has made a significant impact on my monthly budget,” said Dubai resident Rahul TK. “I am extremely relieved, especially now that schools have started, traffic is back, and driving consumes more fuel. I think on an average, it will definitely cost me around Dh60 or 70 less than July every time I fill my tank. That is going to translate into a good amount of saving every month for me.”
This is the second consecutive month that petrol prices have gone down, much to the relief of residents. Combining the drop of August and now September, vehicle owners can save more than Dh1 per litre.
Dubai resident Umm Saad was worried that prices will go up in September and filled her tank on Tuesday, August 31. “I filled up my tank fearing petrol prices will go up again,” she said. “Even though the hike would be few fils, when it comes to filling up the tank, a lot of money gets shelled out. This time however, it seems like I paid about Dh30 more than I would have if I had waited until today, but I am happy that the prices have come down. Every dirham makes a huge difference when planning our budget, so I am really glad.”
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Ninu Hyder was contemplating filling the tank of her SUV on August 31 when news of the price drop came. “I was driving to the grocery at night when the fuel light lit up,” she said. “A couple of minutes later a friend messaged me with the details of the decrease in prices. I had enough to get home. So, I went this morning and filled up. It was about Dh35 cheaper than last month for a full tank. I am really happy.”
Nasreen Abdulla is a Special Correspondent covering food, tech and human interest stories. When not challenged by deadlines, you’ll find her pulling off submissions on the jiu jitsu mats.