SHARJAH // Father-of-three Ahmed Jelani makes the trip from his home in Sharjah to work in Abu Dhabi each day. The more than six-hour round trip, which he shares with six colleagues, costs him Dh1,500 a month, which he puts toward the cost of renting a car and driver.
Any rise in the price of petrol will hit the cost of groceries, schooling and his family’s finances hard, said the 37-year-old Pakistani, who leaves home at 4.45am to reach work by 7.30am.
“Once petrol costs go up, it will affect all our budgets.
“The car pool rate will definitely increase. Transport costs for groceries and provisions will increase, so food prices will go up and my daughter’s school will charge more than the monthly Dh600 for bus fees.”
Mr Jelani, who lives in a two-bedroom apartment in Rolla, worries that he will not be able to afford the increase since wages remain the same.
“I am worried because salaries are not going up. I will have to see what pressure the fuel increase will put on my pocket because now my salary is at breakeven with expenses. So whatever extra cost comes I have to see if I can survive that.”
He also worries that after recently bringing his wife and three children, aged between five years and a month old, to the UAE, he might be forced to send them back to Pakistan.
“I will try and keep them here as long as possible.”
However, despite the expected rise in costs, Mr Jelani, who works in a finance department, still dreams of driving a gas guzzling 4x4.
“I think we will see the net effect of the fuel price increase after a year. I still dream I will buy a Land Cruiser. I have the same dream I had when I came to this country of living a good life with my family.”
rtalwar@thenational.ae
