cars
Oil pinch hurt growing in the UAE as Uber, Sharjah Taxi take cues
Kumar Shyam
The pinch on the pockets of the UAE residents is starting to hurt badly by the day with rising oil prices and its knockon effects.
As soon as the petrol and diesel prices went up by at least 50 fils for the month of July, ride-hailing company Uber has followed suit.
The company sent out an email on Friday to inform about the fare hike. Uber would charge as much as 11 per cent extra for some trips, the American company added.
The hike is Uber’s second this year in the UAE, after a hike in March but the UAE’s market-linked price for the black gold has continued unabated. The country opted for a dynamic pricing with global trends in 2015. But Russia’s attack on Ukraine has messed all economies around the world.
Yet, petrol in UAE is three times more expensive than in Kuwait and almost double the average cost per litre in the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council, according to a Bloomberg report.
Dynamic pricing
Uber is not alone with Sharjah Taxi also deciding to base their fares with the rise or fall of fuel prices with this month.
The Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority (SRTA) said the meter flag down rate will be increased or decreased every month in direct co-relation with the prices. Petrol prices in the UAE have jumped over 56 per cent since January 2022.
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Also read: UAE ranks first regionally and twelfth globally in growth potential
UAE petrol price to get costlier by 50 fils in July 2022
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Early last month, Suhail Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, had admitted that prices could go higher as Chinese demand is likely to recover significantly while efforts by Opec+ to raise production were not yielding results fast enough.
The latest data showed Opec+ was running 2.6 million barrels a day short of its production target, Mr Al Mazrouei said at the Middle East and North Africa-Europe Future Energy Dialogue in Jordan.
He expects China, the world’s biggest importer and second largest economy, which has been easing its coronavirus lockdowns, to “come with more consumption”.
“With the pace of consumption we have, we are nowhere near the peak because China is not back yet,” Mr Al Mazrouei said. “The situation is not very encouraging when it comes to the quantities that we can bring. We’re lagging by almost 2.6 million barrels a day and that’s a lot.”
Dubai most expensive city in the Gulf
Meanwhile, Dubai has been ranked among the world’s most expensive cities to live and work in for expatriates this year, according to the Cost of Living survey by Mercer.
The study, which looks at how the rising cost of living has impacted workers’ financial wellbeing in 227 cities worldwide, placed Dubai in the 31st position.
The emirate, which has been seeing a growing influx of millionaires and demand for property recently, emerged as the costliest city in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, beating out the neighbouring cities of Riyadh, which landed in the 103rd position, Jeddah (111th place), Manama (117), Muscat (119), Kuwait City (131) and Doha (133).
The UAE Government has decided to cancel the traffic violations of Omani citizens in the country, according to state-run news agency WAM.This covers all traffic violations incurred from 2018 to 2023. The announcement comes a few days after Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq met the country’s leaders on a state visit on Monday.
Major General Pilot Faris Khalaf Al Mazrouei, Commander-in-Chief of Abu Dhabi Police, announced the immediate start of implementing the decision to cancel all traffic violations incurred by citizens of Oman.
In a statement today, he appreciated the decision to cancel all traffic violations incurred by these citizens in order to reduce the burden on the brothers from the Sultanate, and out of the keenness and interest of the wise leadership to launch purposeful initiatives that contribute to the happiness of customers from various segments of society, and to enhance efforts to preserve traffic safety.
He said that work had begun immediately to implement the decision in line with the procedures of the police general commands at the state level and to facilitate the mechanism for cancelling traffic violations.
All fines for traffic violations committed by motorists during the recent record rains, on April 16, will be waived in Dubai, police announced.
Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, made the announcement on Wednesday.
The decision to waive the traffic violations reflects Dubai Police’s commitment to the community and to ensuring their safety, especially during exceptional circumstances.
Dubai’s Crown Prince, Sheikh Hamdan, had earlier approved a series of initiatives and measures to urgently mitigate the impact of the severe weather in the emirate.
The Fuel Prices Monitoring Committee has given the green light for an increase in gasoline and diesel prices for March 2024. The approved hike ranges between 15 and 16 fils per liter for gasoline and 17 fils for diesel, compared to February 2024 prices.
Fuel distribution companies have promptly announced the new prices, effective from Friday, March 1, 2024. The updated pricing includes a 5% value-added tax.
Specifically, the price per liter of super gasoline “98” is set to rise by 15 fils, reaching 3.03 dirhams in March, up from 2.88 dirhams in February. Special gasoline “95” will see an increase of 16 fils, from 2.76 dirhams to 2.92 dirhams, while E-Plus 91 gasoline will climb by 16 fils, reaching 2.85 dirhams from 2.69 dirhams. Additionally, the price of diesel will experience a 17 fils per liter hike, escalating from 2.99 dirhams in February to 3.16 dirhams in March.
This decision follows three consecutive monthly reductions in gasoline and diesel prices approved by the committee for January 2024. The reduction ranged between 13 and 14 fils for gasoline and 19 fils for diesel per liter compared to December 2023 prices.
Notably, the Ministry of Energy’s approved fuel price standards are subject to monthly adjustments based on the global average oil price, incorporating distribution companies’ operating costs.
New fuel prices are:
-Super 98 petrol will cost Dh3.03 a litre, compared to Dh2.88 in February.
-Special 95 petrol will cost Dh2.92 per litre, compared to Dh2.76 last month.
-E-Plus 91 petrol will cost Dh2.85 a litre, compared to Dh2.69 a litre in February.
-Diesel will be charged at Dh3.16 a litre compared to Dh2.99 last month.
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