ABU DHABI // The new fuel prices have prompted many drivers to take the opportunity to re-evaluate their lifestyles in case costs continue to rise – with some even considering selling their cars.
Ayman Mohammed, a 35-year-old Egyptian who works for Dubai Municipality, has already made contingency plans.
“I travel daily to Dubai and come back home to my family in Al Ain the same day,” said Mr Mohammed, a father of two. He travels about 270 kilometres a day.
“I currently own a sports car,” he said. “These cars usually use more fuel than regular cars.” As a result, he said he would sell his car, a Volkswagen Golf, and replace it with one that is more economical.
His Golf has a six-cylinder engine, and he expects to downgrade to a four-cylinder.
“I might go for a Camry or even a Honda, but I’ll definitely have to get rid of my current car,” Mr Mohammed said.
He also has a Plan B. “I might move my family from Al Ain,” he said. Mr Mohammed’s wife, Hanaan Musa, recently gave birth to a baby girl. She is concerned about any dramatic action her husband might consider.
“Moving out of Al Ain is something that I am not looking forward to,” she said.
Her family lives in Al Ain, and she wishes to remain in the city.
“Especially now that I have recently given birth, I wish to have my mum by my side all the time,” said Ms Musa, 31.
Some residents have considered abandoning driving altogether.
“Many friends of mine are thinking of selling their cars, and using public transport instead,” Mr Mohammed said. “To me, it’s a no-go.”
-----------
More on fuel prices
■ UAE fuel price change would cost about $387 per head this year
■ Analysis: long-term gain outweighs short-term pain
■ Other GCC countries may follow UAE lead
■ UAE petrol price rise 'could have been worse'
■ Minister of Energy says new petrol prices are still relatively low
■ UAE taxi firms undecided on hike, but rise is inevitable say cabbies
■ UAE fuel prices for August announced
-----------
ealdhaheri@thenational.ae
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara