The cost of fuel at service stations have fallen down from the record highs set in July.
The price of diesel has now been set back to 4.14 dirhams, matching the pump price in June, and a fall of 62 fils from 4.76 dirhams per litre in July.
While fleets and professional drivers will welcome the reduction, overall the price of topping up diesel trucks, cars and equipment remains 35% higher than compared to January 2022, where it was priced at 2.56 dirhams per litre.
Fuel pump prices for petrol blends have also fallen to 4.03 much lower than July’s 4.63 a litre and 4.15 dirhams a litre in June.
Other prices include: Special 95 petrol which will now cost 3.92 per litre, compared to 4.52 in July, E-Plus 91 petrol will cost 3.84 a litre (which was 4.44 a litre in July).
The challenge of dealing with ongoing fuel cost rises was high on the agenda of the recent 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.
