UAE petrol and diesel prices rise 20 fils a litre for August

Super 98 petrol now costs 3.60 dirhams a litre, up from Dh3.40 in July. Special 95, the grade most drivers use, rose to Dh3.49 from Dh3.29. E-Plus 91 climbed to Dh3.41 from Dh3.21. Diesel increased to Dh3.80 from Dh3.60.

The committee sets retail petrol and diesel rates at the close of every month. It says the changes track trends in global energy markets, and it publishes the new figures a few days ahead of time. That gives drivers a short window to plan a fill-up before the change lands. August's increase follows a rare dip in July, when prices fell after four straight months of rises.

The new rates apply across the UAE. Petrol stations update pumps automatically at midnight on the first of the month. The committee's figures are the ones every station in the country follows, so there is no haggling room at the pump.

The government has linked pump prices to global oil markets since it deregulated fuel in August 2015, according to the official u.ae portal. The portal states that the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and the Ministry of Finance sit on the committee as the government's representatives. It also says the policy aims to encourage fuel conservation and wider use of public transport, rather than lock in a fixed, subsidized rate.

Drivers switching grades to save money will not find much room to do so this month. Every option moved by the same 20 fils, including E-Plus 91, the grade used mainly in older vehicles.

The committee's monthly cycle means residents rarely go more than a few weeks without a rate change one way or the other.

July's dip was the exception rather than the rule this year. An earlier run of increases in 2026 had pushed pump prices higher before the July fall.

Diesel matters beyond private cars, since trucks, buses, and delivery fleets run on it too. A 20-fils rise there feeds into transport and delivery costs across the city over time, even for residents who never fill up a diesel tank themselves. Households that rely on deliveries for groceries or parcels may feel that cost passed on gradually rather than all at once.