Europeans protesting at the high price of petrol will find little sympathy in the Gulf where oil can be cheaper than water.
Emirati national Ahmad Saleh placed the woes of western consumers firmly on the shoulders of their respective governments’ economic policies. “Prices in Dubai are good. There are no taxes, but there shouldn’t be as the UAE is an oil-producing country and we are proud of that,” Saleh said as a pump attendant filled his gleaming limousine.
“It is not the fault of Opec, that’s for sure. Oil prices are universal. It is the taxing system in place that makes the difference and hikes the prices,” he said. “Blame your own governments.” With much of Western Europe gripped by protests over high fuel costs, residents in the Gulf spurned criticism of Opec and firmly blamed exorbitant taxes.
“I have just returned from my summer holidays in England,” said one motorist. “I was absolutely horrified at the prices there. It cost three times as much to fill up a saloon car as it does my rather large four-wheel drive here.” “We could not run such a vehicle if we were to live back in Britain,” she said. “(British Prime Minister) Tony Blair’s in big trouble.”
“They have run out of petrol in my home village and the school buses can only run until tomorrow,” said another Briton here. “I am glad I live here. Dubai could lose money on its low petrol prices but it suits us, the consumers.”
For Santosh, who has worked at forecourts across Dubai for several years, reactions at the pumps from European expatriates have been vocal but amusing. “They always have a laugh at the expense of those loved ones back in their home countries,” said the Indian, who has never owned a car.
Petrol prices throughout the Gulf remain incredibly low, and a sizeable car or jeep costs less than $15 to fill up. In the Emirates, a litre of petrol costs 28 cents, while in Kuwait it is 21 cents and in Iraq it can be as low as just one cent, although it may not be of great quality and a car is beyond many Iraqi budgets.
Baghdad’s Oil Minister Amer Rashid has said that his ministry was “charging refinery and transport costs only, with petrol itself being freely provided since it is a resource that belongs to the people.”
Kuwait’s Finance Minister Shaikh Ahmad Abdullah Al Sabah was quoted as saying yesterday, meanwhile, that “we are not the cause of the current hike in oil prices ... but high taxes imposed by consuming countries on fuel.”
“When oil prices dropped to $7 a barrel, no one from them cared about us. Is it halal (allowed) for them and haram (not allowed) for us?” Shaikh Ahmad asked.
Mahmud, a Kuwaiti national, said the protesters in Europe had got it right. “It’s good to see protesters in Europe placing blame on their governments for high taxes. At least they are not blaming Opec for the hike,” he said. – AFP
©--Agence France Presse.
