Food prices across the country appear to be levelling out or falling, according to anecdotal evidence compiled by the Ministry of Economy, but the changes have not matched the sharp decline in food prices worldwide.
Staple foods, including sugar, potatoes, bread, chicken and some types of rice were unchanged or had fallen in price since last month, the ministry said on Saturday. The ministry's figures show slight declines in prices since September.
The ministry's numbers are consistent with data compiled by the Abu Dhabi government's Department of Planning and Economy, which found last week that food prices in the emirate had either dropped or stayed the same in the past month.
But both measurements show that UAE prices are not falling as quickly as the rest of the world. An index of prices compiled by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization fell 19.4 per cent between September and November. Data for the index was not available for December, but is expected to show further declines.
Economists said the price declines were led mainly by falling fuel prices, which had reduced the costs of producing and transporting goods.
Some food items in the UAE were sharply changed over this fall: domestic cucumbers sold at Lulu supermarket in Dubai fell by nearly half since September, to Dh3.75 per kilogram, while Indian gate basmati rice fell by more than 10 per cent in Carrefour supermarkets in Ras al Khaimah, to Dh122.40 per 10kg bag.
Other prices moved against the general downwards trend, however. Basmati No. 1 rice from Pakistan rose 52 per cent at Carrefour supermarkets in Sharjah since October, to Dh57 per 10kg bag.
cstanton@thenational.ae
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
THE%C2%A0SPECS
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
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Ferrari
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Off-roading in the UAE: How to checklist
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The biog
Simon Nadim has completed 7,000 dives.
The hardest dive in the UAE is the German U-boat 110m down off the Fujairah coast.
As a child, he loved the documentaries of Jacques Cousteau
He also led a team that discovered the long-lost portion of the Ines oil tanker.
If you are interested in diving, he runs the XR Hub Dive Centre in Fujairah
The biog:
From: Wimbledon, London, UK
Education: Medical doctor
Hobbies: Travelling, meeting new people and cultures
Favourite animals: All of them
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
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