Some Dubai motorists waited more than 20 minutes to refuel, with others taking time off work or changing plans to beat the evening rush.
As soon as October’s petrol prices were announced, motorists across Dubai began heading to fuel stations to fill their tanks before the new rates came into effect.
By Wednesday morning, some drivers were already waiting more than 20 minutes to refuel. Many chose to stop during work breaks or adjust their usual journeys in an effort to avoid longer queues during the evening rush.
Khaleej Times visited four petrol stations in Al Garhoud, Business Bay, Al Khail Road and Al Quoz, where motorists reported waiting between 20 and 25 minutes by 11am. Station attendants said queues began forming at around 10.30am, shortly after the new prices were announced.
Several motorists said they had been going about their usual routines when they saw the news and decided to fill up earlier than planned. Some estimated that refuelling before the price increase could save them around Dh80.
Taking a break from work
At a petrol station in Business Bay, Amr Al Four, who works nearby, said he stepped away from the office specifically to fill up his car before the higher prices came into effect.
“As soon as I read the news about the increase in prices, I decided to refill my car’s tank. I knew that the stations would be crowded in the evening,” he said.
He was not alone. Other employees also adjusted their workday routines to refuel early and save some money before the price increase.
For Salman, another motorist, it was the unusually long queues at petrol stations that first caught his attention.
“I did not see the announcement and was surprised to find so many cars waiting at a petrol station in the morning,” he said.
After remembering it was the final day of the month, Salman checked the latest fuel prices online and quickly realised what was behind the queues.
“When I learnt about the increase, I understood why motorists were queueing. My next stop was the nearest station to fill up,” said Salman.
Dubai resident Annie Varghese also made a point of stopping for fuel on her way to work, even though she had filled up her SUV only a few days earlier.
“I was already expecting petrol prices to go up this month — considering how oil has been trending north of $100 this week — but the announcement still hurt,” she said. “My SUV’s tank wasn’t empty; I’d just filled it up on Sunday. But at this point, every dirham matters. I paid Dh67 for 18 litres of petrol (Special 95) today. Next week, that will cost me Dh77.”
Annie said a queue was already beginning to form at the station she visited by 11.30am. However, because it was in a less busy location, she was able to refuel within about 10 minutes.
“I could see really long queues at other petrol stations along the highway though; those drivers definitely looked like they’d be there a while, but it’s also the smart thing to do to refuel today.”
She added that the higher fuel prices had already prompted conversations among some of her colleagues. Some were hoping for greater flexibility to work from home during the month, while others were considering switching to public transport where possible.
Savings add up across a fleet
How much motorists can save depends on the amount of fuel they buy and the grade they use. A driver topping up a partly full tank, for example, would save less than someone purchasing a larger quantity of the same fuel.
Some motorists estimated savings of around Dh30 on a refill, while others expected to save close to Dh80, depending on how much fuel their vehicles needed.
Vehicles belonging to a tourism company were also among those arriving at petrol stations to fill up before the new rates took effect.
One company driver said the savings could exceed Dh3,000 across its fleet of around 60 vehicles.
“We have about 60 cars in our company, and we need to get them filled before the end of the day. Some cars are booked, and we are filling up the cars that are parked now.”
“We estimate that we can save about Dh55 to Dh60 on one vehicle before the new prices take effect. Across our whole fleet, we may save over Dh3,000,” the driver added.
Queues start forming by 10.30am
Petrol station attendants told Khaleej Times that while the stations normally see motorists arriving at that time of day, lengthy queues are unusual.
An attendant at a station in Al Quoz said the increase in fuel prices had prompted more drivers to arrive earlier than usual.
“The queue is because of the increase in fuel prices. We started seeing motorists come to us around 10.30am, and we are expecting more people after 4pm,” the attendant said.
