The final day before prices at petrol pumps increased across the UAE passed off without any excessive bulk buying.
Although bigger queues were reported at some forecourts, for most motorists in Dubai and Abu Dhabi the wait was no longer than a typical weekend.
As of Saturday, petrol prices have increased from Dh1.72 per litre for Special 95 to Dh2.14, a rise of 23.6 per cent.
The revised price for Super 98 has been set at Dh2.25 and E Plus at Dh2.07.
The price of diesel is set at Dh2.05, which is a 29 per cent drop from Dh2.90.
Hanz Jose, a supervisor at Enoc on Hessa Street, Dubai, said Friday had been noticeably busier.
“We are always busy but more people have been coming here to fill up before the prices rise tomorrow. Our customers know how much cheaper it will be for them today.
“The increases are good news for the Government but not necessarily for us.”
Koyesh, an attendant at Enoc in The Meadows, Dubai, agreed that trade had been busier.
“Friday is usually quieter as it is the holy day, but I have seen more cars than is normal today,” he said. “A few people have joked about fillinag up before the prices go up but most don’t seem that bothered.”
In the capital, Amr Salam, 38, said he would like to fill his car at the cheaper price “one last time”.
“I am lucky to have an empty tank now,” said the Egyptian with a laugh. “But I am not sure how I will manage in the next days.”
Abdullah Al Suwaidi, 29, who owns a Chevrolet Silverado pickup and lives in Abu Dhabi, said rushing to fill up was pointless.
“What does it matter if I fill today and how much I pay? In three days it will be empty and I will have to fill it with almost Dh250,” said the Emirati student.
“This is something we cannot change and must embrace for the time being, but it will be hard to comprehend and get accustomed to for a while.”
He said he might consider switching to a smaller car if fuel costs became too great.
Mark Heitz, 33, lives in Dubai Marina and drives an Audi RS4.
“I bought this 4.2-litre V8 the day before the Government announced that prices would be going up. I used to rent a Toyota Camry but thought I would invest in this, so it was bad timing on my part,” said the American engineer.
“I don’t regret buying it as it’s a nice car and fuel here is still cheaper than most other places around the world, so it is not a problem.”
Another Marina resident, Marcus Schmidt, 32, is head of service at MTU Middle East, a company supplying engines for yachts. He drives a supercharged Range Rover Sport.
“I fill up my tank once a week and it costs about Dh160. It will be an extra Dh60 from tomorrow so I thought I would get in now before it gets too busy,” said the German.
“It will cost businesses more than it will cost individuals, although it may have a knock-on effect to the cost of living in the long-term here. It could be a problem for taxis but I guess they will pass the cost on to customers.”
J S, a 38-year-old American teacher in Abu Dhabi, said: “I wanted to fill up my tank before the price rise tomorrow. We are making the same amount of money that we have made for three years but it seems like everything is going up. Any chance we can to save a little bit of money we will do.”
Indian F A, who works for a courier company, said he was instructed by his bosses “to fill up the tanks” in the company’s four cars. “I am going back and forth for each car.”
One pump attendant in the capital said he had not noticed more customers. “It is usually [calm] on the weekends, not many cars came all morning. Mostly they come late at night, maybe it will be busy at 8 or 9pm,” he said.
Emirati Salem Al Baloushi, 37, said: “If we look at European countries, such as Germany for instance, our new prices are cheaper than theirs by almost 200 per cent. We are extremely lucky and blessed.”
New prices will be fixed every month and the next change will be announced on August 28.
* Additional reporting by Elham Al Dhaheri
