Drivers in the UAE will pay noticeably more at the pump from Thursday. The Fuel Price Committee announced on Wednesday that petrol and diesel will cost more in every category from 1 October. Petrol prices have reached their highest levels of the year, with every grade now above Dh4 a litre.
The new prices
| Fuel | September | October | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super 98 | Dh3.80 | Dh4.40 | +15.8% |
| Special 95 | Dh3.69 | Dh4.28 | +16.0% |
| E-Plus 91 | Dh3.61 | Dh4.21 | +16.6% |
| Diesel | Dh4.30 | Dh4.80 | +11.6% |
E-Plus 91 records the steepest percentage rise, at 16.6 per cent, while diesel climbs 11.6 per cent. In cash terms, petrol goes up by 59 to 60 fils a litre and diesel by 50 fils.
What a fill-up will cost
The gap shows up most clearly at the pump. On a 50-litre tank, a driver filling up with Super 98 will pay about Dh220 in October, compared with roughly Dh190 in September. Special 95 users face a bill near Dh214, up from about Dh185. These are illustrative calculations from the published rates, and actual costs depend on the size of the tank and how empty it is.
For families with more than one car, or businesses running diesel fleets, the monthly difference adds up quickly. Diesel now costs Dh4.80 a litre, the most expensive fuel on the list.
Why prices are climbing
The committee adjusts retail prices at the end of each month in line with global energy markets, and global markets have been unsettled. Oil touched $107 ahead of the October announcement. The regional war that began on 28 February has kept the Strait of Hormuz at the centre of that uncertainty.
The strait carried about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas before the conflict. Earlier this week, Iran threatened new attacks on regional infrastructure while it waits for a formal US response to a plan for reopening the waterway. Washington has said oil is still moving through the strait, while Tehran insists it is closed, so traders have little clarity on when supply will normalise.
A steady climb through 2026
The October figures sit at the top of a long climb. Super 98 cost Dh2.45 a litre in February, when diesel was Dh2.52. By August it had reached Dh3.60, and it rose again to Dh3.80 in September before this month’s jump.
July was the exception, with prices dipping after four consecutive monthly increases linked to the regional war. October is the third straight monthly rise since that pause.
Options for motorists
There is no quick fix for drivers, but the transport landscape is shifting. The Etihad Rail link between Dubai and Abu Dhabi began passenger service today, with tickets from Dh39, giving inter-city travellers an alternative to the highway. For daily commutes, carpooling, keeping tyres properly inflated and avoiding unnecessary idling can trim consumption at the margin.
What to watch
The next price announcement will come at the end of October. Its direction will depend on how oil markets react to diplomacy over Hormuz and on whether tensions in the Gulf ease or worsen. Until there is a clear answer from Washington and Tehran, energy analysts and households alike are likely to keep watching the same headlines.
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