Good news for anyone picking up a rental car in the Emirates this month: petrol is getting cheaper. The UAE's Ministry of Energy has announced lower fuel prices for November 2026, ending a run of steady increases that peaked in October.
From 1 November, Super 98 costs Dhs4.16 per litre, down 24 fils from October's Dhs4.40. Special 95 drops to Dhs4.04 from Dhs4.28, E-Plus 91 falls to Dhs3.97 from Dhs4.21, and diesel edges down to Dhs4.75 from Dhs4.80. It's the first meaningful relief after prices climbed almost continuously since February, when Super 98 hit its 2026 low of Dhs2.45.
The context makes the drop feel overdue. Super 98 started the year at Dhs2.53 and stayed under Dhs4 until April, then marched up through spring and summer — Dhs3.66 in May, Dhs3.95 in June — before hitting Dhs4.40 in October, the year's high. For comparison, Super 98 never left the Dhs2.50–2.80 band across the whole of 2025. The increases mirror global oil prices: since August 2015, the UAE has pegged pump prices to international averages rather than subsidising them, so what you pay at the station moves with world markets.
There's a local ritual around these announcements, too. Prices are set on the last day of each month for the month ahead, and drivers plan accordingly. When a rise is coming, queues form at forecourts on the final day; when prices fall, as now, savvy motorists simply wait a day or two to fill up cheaper.
For travellers, why does this matter? Fuel is a real line item if you're driving between Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the northern emirates, or heading out to Al Ain, the Hajar Mountains or the Liwa desert edges. At roughly AED 4 a litre, filling a mid-size saloon still costs less than in most of Europe, so self-drive itineraries remain affordable — and the November dip takes a little of the sting out of a year that saw prices nearly double between February and October. The saving is modest per tank, but over a two-week road trip of daily driving it adds up to the price of a decent meal.
If you're renting, note that most hire cars in the UAE run happily on Special 95 — always check the filler cap — so the headline Super 98 figure isn't necessarily the one you'll pay. Diesel drivers see the smallest change, just five fils.
The November prices are locked in until the next announcement, expected on 30 November. With global prices unpredictable, December could go either way; if you're road-tripping in the UAE in early December and the trend reverses, filling up before month-end is the local playbook.
