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Fuel up 80 fils/litre: What it means for UAE residents' monthly budgets
Residents with long commutes say that the increase could add Dh200 to Dh500 to monthly expenses, prompting many to rethink budgets, everyday spending
- PUBLISHED: Tue 31 Mar 2026, 2:50 PM
For Mohammed Oobod, a supervisor who lives in Sharjah and works at a construction material firm in Jebel Ali, the latest petrol price increase means making a few changes to his monthly spending.
Mohammed drives around 140km every day from Al Riqah in Sharjah to Jebel Ali and back. With petrol prices up by about 80 fils per litre for the month of April, his fuel bill is set to rise.
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Based on his travel, which is nearly 3,360 km a month and an average mileage of 8km per litre, he uses about 420 litres of fuel monthly. Earlier, he was spending over Dh1,100. Now, it is expected to cross Dh1,500, an increase of over Dh400.
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“I was living in Al Nahda, Sharjah earlier. When my brother moved to the UAE to work at a developer in Al Marjan Island a few months ago, we rented a villa,” said Mohammed.
“The house we rented is almost in the centre for both of us, which made things easier. Our children’s school is nearby, and we were even planning to bring our parents here soon so the whole family can stay together,” he said.
Mohammed said that the family may now have to shell out nearly Dh1,000 extra every month.
The impact of the increase in fuel prices is noticeable for residents travelling between emirates daily.
Bassam Mostafa, a multimedia manager who lives in Al Dhaid and works in Dubai Production City, drives nearly 200km every day. With a fuel efficiency of 12 to 15 km per litre, he consumes around 320 to 400 litres monthly. The increase means he could now spend nearly Dh250 to Dh320 more every month on petrol.
“It’s not a small amount. That’s equal to a utility bill or part of school fees of a child,” he said. “You start planning your expenses a bit more carefully when something like this happens.”
Mostafa said he continues to live in Al Dhaid as he has been based there since childhood and his family also runs a business in the area. “But with fuel going up, you start to feel the difference in your monthly spending.”
Some residents said fuel costs are part of their everyday routine. Suhaib Kazi, a visa consultants living in Sharjah and working in JLT, said that driving is essential for daily activities.
“It’s not just office commute. School runs, groceries, weekend outings and everything depends on driving. When petrol prices go up, the monthly budget needs a bit of adjustment.”
“We have already made some changes after rent and food costs increased. Now fuel is another factor to consider. Even Dh200 to Dh300 extra can be felt.”
SM Ayaz Zakir is a Senior Correspondent with a flair for extraordinary stories. His playground? Every corner of the UAE. He often ventures into remote corners of the country to capture compelling news and human interest stories.