The price of diesel has been set at 4.14 dirhams per litre in June, a six fils increase from the 4.08 dirhams pricing in May.
Overall the price of topping up diesel trucks, cars and equipment has risen by 35% since January 2022, where it was priced at 2.56 dirhams per litre. It is also a 45% rise since June 2021, a time when oil prices were still recovering from the peak of the Covid pandemic crisis.
The hike in the diesel price has been matched by further increases in fuel pump prices for petrol blends, including a new price for the popular Super 98 petrol which will now cost 4.15 per litre, a rise of 36% from January.
The challenge of dealing with ongoing fuel cost rises was high on the agenda of last week’s Truck and Fleet Middle East Conference in Dubai.
Several solutions to keep fleets moving and profitable were suggested during the centre-piece roundtable, including better driver training, the latest trailer technology and alternatives to relying on fossil fuels, such as LNG, CNG and electric drivelines. Ultimately fleets will need to tighten control on all their costs to remain profitable.
“Fuel is not the only challenge we see. There is the challenge of ensuring the complete” maintenance of your fleet, including the lubrication system, your brakes, and your tyres. Everything is becoming a challenge,” said BG Middle East’s Gagan Kalra.
In response to rising fuel costs and a drive to reduce GHG emissions, manufacturers have been unveiling more efficient vehicles. Most recently at the T&F Middle East Conference in Dubai, Mercedes displayed its recently launched Econic for airport ground services, municipality and waste management applications.
On the consumer side, the increasing fuel costs have resulted in one in two UAE car buyers saying that they want to switch to electric vehicles.
