Written by Mariem Eissa
New July prices are expected to be announced next week. After three consecutive months of sharp increases driven by global oil market disruptions, drivers across the UAE are watching closely
Dubai, UAE, 25 June 2026: The UAE’s Fuel Price Committee is set to announce new petrol prices for July 2026 next week, and for anyone who has been filling up their tank lately, the announcement cannot come soon enough. Fuel prices have climbed sharply over the past three months, driven by severe disruptions to global oil markets following the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran, and drivers across the country have felt every single increase at the pump.
How Much Have Prices Moved
To put the scale of the increases in perspective: at the end of December 2025, E-Plus 91 was sitting at AED2.51 a litre and diesel at AED2.85. By June 2026, those same grades cost AED3.76 and AED4.33, respectively. That is a jump of nearly 50 per cent for E-Plus in six months.
Current June 2026 prices (effective June 1) are as follows:
| Fuel Type | June 2026 | May 2026 | Dec 2025 |
| E-Plus 91 | AED 3.76 | AED 3.48 | AED 2.51 |
| Special 95 | AED 3.83 | AED 3.55 | AED 2.58 |
| Super 98 | AED 3.95 | AED 3.66 | AED 2.70 |
| Diesel | AED 4.33 | AED 4.69 | AED 2.85 |
Worth noting on diesel: prices actually dropped from AED4.69 in May to AED4.33 in June, the one piece of relief at the pump this month. Everything else went up.
Why Prices Have Spiked So Sharply
It started well. Petrol prices were falling at the beginning of 2026, dropping in both January and February before a small uptick in March ended the first quarter on a flat note. Then April arrived, and with it the kind of global oil market disruption that changes the numbers very quickly.
The ongoing US-Israeli military conflict with Iran has sent ripples through global energy markets, tightening supply expectations and pushing crude prices sharply higher. The UAE, like most countries, links its retail fuel prices to international oil market movements, which means the disruption overseas lands directly at the forecourt. Three consecutive months of increases are the result.
How UAE Fuel Pricing Works
The UAE has linked its retail fuel prices to global oil markets since March 2021, when the government lifted the controls it had put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Before that, prices had been frozen to protect consumers from volatility during an already difficult period.
Under the current system, the Fuel Price Committee reviews prices monthly and announces the new rates for the following month, usually in the final days of each month. July’s prices are expected next week.
Whether July brings relief or another increase will depend largely on how global oil markets move over the coming days. With the geopolitical situation still fluid, predictions are difficult. What is certain is that the announcement is coming, and a lot of people will be watching.
— Ends —
