Following the announcement of gasoline price increases in October, many Dubai motorists began heading to gas stations to fill up before the new tariffs take effect. By Wednesday morning, some drivers were encountering queues exceeding 20 minutes, and many decided to refuel during work breaks or make an extra stop on their usual route to avoid congestion after work hours.
Khaleej Times visited four gas stations in the Al Garhoud, Business Bay, Al Hail Road, and Al Quoz areas. According to drivers, they waited between 20 and 25 minutes by 11 AM. Station staff reported that queues started forming around 10:30 AM, shortly after the official announcement.
Several drivers told KT that they were engaged in regular activities when they saw the news. They decided to refuel earlier than planned, with some hoping to save about 80 dirhams on fuel.
At one gas station in Business Bay, Amr Al For, who works nearby, mentioned that he left the office to fill up his car. He noted: 'As soon as I read the news about the price increase, I decided to fill the tank. I knew there would be many people at the stations in the evening.'
He was not the only one to interrupt work. Other employees also adjusted their schedules to save a little on fuel before the new prices were introduced.
For Salman, the sight of the queues at the gas stations caught his attention. He said: 'I hadn't seen the announcement and was surprised to see so many cars waiting at the gas station in the morning.' He then recalled that it was the last day of the month and checked fuel prices online. 'When I learned about the increase, I understood why drivers were queuing. My next stop was the nearest station to refuel.'
Meanwhile, Dubai resident Annie Vargas specifically stopped at a gas station on her way to work, even though she had filled up her SUV just a few days prior. She commented: 'I was already expecting a rise in gasoline prices this month—given how oil has trended above $100 this week—but the announcement still hit my wallet.' She added: 'My SUV tank wasn't empty; I filled it up on Sunday. But right now, every dirham counts. Today I paid 67 dirhams for 18 liters of gasoline (special 95). Next week, it will cost me 77 dirhams.'
Although Annie mentioned that the queue had already started growing at the station where she was located by 11:30 AM, it was in a more remote area, so she finished fueling in 10 minutes. However, she noticed very long queues at other gas stations along the highway, noting that these drivers would likely stay there for a long time, but it was also a sensible move to refuel today.
Annie also mentioned that the new tariffs prompted an immediate reaction from some of her colleagues, who are either hoping their employers will provide them with more flexibility for remote work this month or are considering switching to public transport if possible.
Savings depend on the volume of fuel purchased and the grade of gasoline. A person topping up a partially full tank will save less than someone buying a larger volume of the same fuel.
Some drivers estimated they could save about 30 dirhams on refueling, while others might save almost 80 dirhams. The amount varied depending on the required amount of fuel.
Vehicles from a tourism company were also at the stations for refueling. One company driver stated that the savings could exceed 3000 dirhams for the entire fleet. He explained: 'We have about 60 cars in our company, and we need to refuel them before the end of the day. Some cars are booked, and we are fueling those that are currently available.'
This driver added: 'We estimate we can save between 55 and 60 dirhams per vehicle before the new prices come into effect. Across our entire fleet, we can save over 3000 dirhams.'
Station staff told Khaleej Times that activity is usually high at this time, but cars rarely line up in queues. An employee at an Al Quoz gas station said: 'The queue is caused by the fuel price increase. We started seeing drivers around 10:30 AM, and we expect even more people after 4:00 PM.'
