Dubai:  The average monthly spending on petrol in the UAE will go up by Dh100 to Dh200 per person once the new prices take effect, an analyst said.

If added on top of the current average monthly spend, every UAE resident who owns a car can expect  average expenditures to reach between Dh500  and Dh750 per month, depending on the vehicle type.

According to Mohamed Noweir, managing director Carmudi UAE, which analyzes consumer gasoline spending, residents in the country spend an average of Dh400 to Dh600 on petrol per month.

“Current car owners will probably be affected with an increase of Dh100 to Dh150 on average in extra fuel costs per month,” Noweir told Gulf News.

Following the announcement from the UAE Fuel Price committee on Tuesday, the price of gasoline (95 octane) will go up to Dh2.14 per litre, up 24 per cent from Dh1.72.

Moody's had earlier estimated that lifting oil subsidies in the UAE would cost consumers an average of $387 per head this year.

While the increase in spending is considered minimal and will not greatly impact most people’s wallets, Noweir cautioned that there is a great possibility that prices will further go up in the coming months.

“The amount is definitely not as much as was expected, and should not be a huge strain on individual spending. But there is a high chance we will see prices increase slowly over the next few months to more closely represent global market prices.”

Those who are on a tight budget will be more cautions with the trips they take daily. “For new car owners and used car owners, we will see increasing interest in asking about fuel economies of the vehicles,” Noweir said.

“Sellers might start mentioning  it in their sales listing descriptions more frequently, using it as a major selling point.”

An expatriate in Dubai, Elaine, who drives a car with a 2.5 cylinder engine, said she expects to spend additional Dh40 per week on petrol. “In a month, the extra expense will reach Dh160, that’s enough to buy a decent brunch for two,” she said.

"That's just a conservative estimate, or granting that I only drive to and from work five days a week."