UAE Petrol Prices: October 2026 Sets a New Diesel Record

UAE petrol prices rose for a third straight month in October 2026, with Special 95 at AED 4.28 a litre and diesel at AED 4.80. That diesel price is now above July 2022’s AED 4.76, the peak that set the previous high. Petrol is still 24 fils below its own 2022 record.

A per-litre price hides most of what that means, though. So this piece starts with one litre and zooms out.

What UAE petrol prices are in October 2026

The UAE Fuel Price Follow-up Committee set the October rates on 30 September. They apply nationwide, from 1 October to 31 October, and they do not change mid-month.

Super 98 costs AED 4.40 a litre, up from AED 3.80. Special 95 costs AED 4.28, up from AED 3.69. E-Plus 91 costs AED 4.21, up from AED 3.61. Diesel costs AED 4.80, up from AED 4.30.

That is a rise of roughly 16 percent on petrol in a single month, according to The National.

One litre: the 2026 climb

First, start with the price of a single litre across the year. Special 95 is the grade most UAE cars use, so it sits alongside diesel below.

Month 2026	Special 95	Diesel
February	AED 2.33	AED 2.52
March	AED 2.48	AED 2.72
April	AED 3.28	AED 4.69
May	AED 3.55	AED 4.69
June	AED 3.83	AED 4.33
July	AED 3.29	AED 3.60
August	AED 3.49	AED 3.80
September	AED 3.69	AED 4.30
October	AED 4.28	AED 4.80

February was the year’s low, just before the regional conflict began. Since then, Special 95 has risen 83.7 percent, while diesel has risen 90.5 percent.

The path was not a straight line, however. April brought the biggest single jump, and July brought a 14 percent cut. October now sits above every earlier month of the year.

One tank: AED 117 more than February

Next, scale up to a full tank. A typical sedan holds about 60 litres, so that is the unit most drivers actually feel.

In February, filling up with Special 95 cost AED 139.80. In October, the same tank costs AED 256.80.

That is AED 117 more every time you fill up. For anyone filling weekly, it is the single largest price rise in their monthly budget this year.

One month: what UAE petrol prices cost a household

Then scale up again, to a month. Most fuel-cost guides use 100 litres a month as a benchmark, so FOUAE does the same.

At February prices, 100 litres of Special 95 cost AED 233. At October prices, it costs AED 428. The difference is AED 195 a month, or about AED 2,340 a year if prices held.

Set that against household wage growth and the squeeze becomes clear. Few salaries rose 84 percent this year, so fuel now takes a visibly larger share of take-home pay.

One year: the AED 925 already spent

Monthly prices tell you where you are. By contrast, the running total tells you what it has already cost.

Add up the extra paid above February’s price for each month from March to October. For a driver using 100 litres a month, the total comes to about AED 925.

So the average UAE motorist has already paid close to a thousand dirhams more for fuel this year than February prices would have charged. October alone accounts for AED 195 of that.

One fleet: why diesel hurts business most

Finally, scale up to a business. Companies feel this hardest, because commercial fleets run on diesel and diesel rose fastest.

Take a delivery operator burning 3,000 litres of diesel a month. In February that cost AED 7,560. In October it costs AED 14,400. That is AED 6,840 more every month, for the same deliveries.

Diesel also costs 52 fils more per litre than Special 95 in October. For quick commerce and food delivery, where margins are already thin, that gap decides whether a route makes money. Restaurants that run their own delivery face the same arithmetic.

Which grade to buy when UAE petrol prices are this high

The cheapest saving available is often the grade itself. In October, Super 98 costs 12 fils more per litre than Special 95, while E-Plus 91 costs 7 fils less.

On a 60-litre tank, choosing Special 95 over Super 98 saves AED 7.20 per fill. At 100 litres a month, that adds up to about AED 144 a year.

Most cars sold in the UAE are designed for 95-octane fuel, so Super 98 brings no benefit unless the manufacturer specifies it. However, dropping to E-Plus 91 only makes sense where the owner’s manual allows it. Running a high-compression engine on lower octane fuel can cost far more in repairs than it saves at the pump.

What driving now costs, beyond the pump

Fuel is only one part of the bill for a Dubai commuter. A peak-hour Salik toll gate costs AED 6.

In February, that AED 6 bought about 2.6 litres of Special 95. In October, it buys about 1.4 litres. So fuel has become the larger cost of a short commute, where it used to sit roughly level with tolls.

High prices also change behaviour. When UAE fuel hit its July 2022 peak, Khaleej Times reported a sharp rise in demand for electric vehicles. A similar shift is worth watching through the rest of 2026.

Why UAE petrol prices keep rising

The UAE deregulated fuel prices in 2015. Since then, the committee resets retail prices each month to track global benchmarks rather than holding them flat.

That means pump prices follow crude closely. In practice, the committee looks at average global prices over the previous month and sets the next month’s rate from them.

So the October rise reflects September’s oil market. Global oil has stayed elevated since February, amid uncertainty over a possible US-Iran truce, and retail prices have passed that straight through.

Many neighbouring states still subsidise fuel. The UAE does not, which is why UAE petrol prices move more, and move faster, than prices elsewhere in the Gulf.

How UAE petrol prices compare with the 2022 record

Meanwhile, July 2022 remains the reference point. That month, Super 98 hit AED 4.63, Special 95 AED 4.52 and diesel AED 4.76, according to the committee’s announcement at the time.

October 2026 petrol remains below that mark. Special 95 is still 24 fils short of it.

Diesel, however, is a different story. At AED 4.80, it now sits 4 fils above the July 2022 figure. Petrol has a little headroom left before it matches 2022. Diesel has already passed it.

What to watch in November

The committee announces November prices on or around 31 October. So watch two things.

First, whether Special 95 crosses AED 4.52. That would take petrol past the 2022 record as well. Second, whether any truce agreement moves crude. A sustained fall in oil would feed through to the pump within one monthly cycle, just as it did in July.

For businesses, the practical step is to budget fuel at October’s level rather than the year’s average. The 2026 average for Special 95 so far is AED 3.36, yet planning on it would understate the current cost by more than a fifth.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Sources

Sources: UAE Fuel Price Follow-up Committee monthly price announcements for February to October 2026, reported by The National and Arabian Business; the committee’s July 2022 announcement, reported by Gulf News, Khaleej Times and Gulf Business, for the 2022 reference prices.

The 83.7 and 90.5 percent rises, the AED 117 per tank figure, the AED 195 monthly and AED 925 cumulative household costs, and the AED 6,840 fleet figure are FOUAE calculations from those published prices, using a 60-litre tank, 100 litres a month for a household and 3,000 litres a month for a fleet. Actual costs depend on vehicle and usage. This is general analysis, not financial advice.

Founders of UAE (FOUAE) is an independent, digital-first business publication covering the founders, companies and economy of the United Arab Emirates. Follow FOUAE on Instagram and LinkedIn.