ABU DHABI // Most drivers will pay less for petrol next month than they did when fuel was subsidised.
Super will cost Dh1.81 a litre, Special Dh1.70 and diesel Dh1.87 – all cheaper than in July. E Plus will cost Dh1.63, only 2 fils a litre more than before deregulation.
Prices at the pump soared in August when the Ministry of Energy removed subsidies and introduced monthly price-setting based on global markets. Super rose to Dh2.25, Special to Dh2.14 and E Plus to Dh2.07, although diesel fell from Dh2.90 to Dh2.05.
But petrol prices began to fall in September and will fall again in November for the third consecutive month.
“The last three months show the ministry is keeping its word. Deregulating means referencing pump prices to global prices,” said Sanyalak Manibhandu, a senior analyst at National Bank of Abu Dhabi. “So when global crude prices fall, consumers should pay less.”
When the change in price policy was announced in July, many consumers assumed they would pay more.
“I thought it was going to be much more expensive but simply because I just didn’t know pricing,” said Ruth O’Dwyer, 31, an American teacher who lives in Al Ain.
“I never kept up with oil prices until I realised I had to.”
Prices are set by a committee led by the ministry, using benchmarks linked to international markets. Oil prices play a major part, and Brent crude has more than halved since last year’s highs of US$110 a barrel. There are no signs of oil prices rising significantly any time soon.
“The outlook is bleak for oil prices in the medium term due to oversupply in the market, benefiting UAE drivers,” said Sebastien Henin of The National Investor in Abu Dhabi.
Ms O’Dwyer said she now anxiously watched crude oil prices. “Now I think of how much it will go up once prices rise again, given they’ve been so low.”
lgraves@thenational.ae
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Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
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Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
