From Sunday Dh10 fee waived for Adnoc attendants to fill your tank

An attendant is pictured at one of Adnoc Distribution's service stations. Brand Finance said Adnoc's brand value had grown in value by 29 per cent last year to $11.39bn. Reem Mohammed/The National

The Dh10 fee to have an Adnoc attendant pump your petrol will no longer be applicable from Sunday.

The decision to offer "free assisted fueling" has been taken after feedback from customers.

Adnoc Distribution’s acting chief executive, Saeed Al Rashdi, said in a statement on Thursday that "we trust this will be very well received by our customers".

The move will also support its growth ambitions, he said.

From June last year, motorists pumped their own petrol or had the option to pay attendants a small fee to fill their tank as part of a premium service. This also included a windshield wash and a tyre pressure check. Rewards and discounts could also be claimed at service stations' convenience stores as part of the premium service.

The elderly and people with special needs had been exempt from the charge anyway and attendants have been sensitive to those who may not be able to leave their car, Adnoc has said previously. Those injured, for example, were exempt from the Dh10 fee. A trial period had been run in advance of the move last year, to test payment systems, the speed through the pumps and staff training.

On Thursday, Adnoc Distribution, which operates 382 service stations, said that it had engaged with nearly 14,000 customers through focus groups and surveys.

A poll by The National in April 2018 showed that 80 per cent of people say they would prefer to pump their own petrol rather than pay a fee for an attendant to do it.

The company had also trialled a self-service only system in 2016.

It said on Thursday that it will launch a new loyalty programme, 'Adnoc Rewards', before the end of the year.

Adnoc Distribution is the sole operator of petrol stations in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. It also has stations in Dubai, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain and Saudi Arabia. On Thursday the company reported a rise in third quarter profit compared to the same period a year earlier.