Oman market: how rising prices are hitting our pockets

“If careful planning was conducted they (the ministry of oil and gas) would realise that people are not in a state to pay such high amounts for fuel.

“There has been no form of study done – at least one that I know of – whether the people working in Oman are witnessing a change in their salaries.

“Being a student, it is even harder because we have to drive all the way from the city to the college. And car-pooling is frowned upon by the Royal Oman Police (ROP). A few months back, I was stopped by them and asked if I was ferrying people for money.

“Where is the solution?” he asks.

“You cannot simply throw us into the pit and expect us to crawl out of it.”

One British expat who wishes not to be named tells Y: “I have switched fuels. I run my Volkswagen Golf GTi hatchback on M91 – the low-grade fuel.

“It’s a sacrifice I have to make if I want to live my lifestyle like I used to. I love travelling around the country and it was something I did with my wife, spontaneously.

“Now, however, I must make plans and think if I can sustain myself before jumping into my car and going for a road-trip.

“To avert that situation by a bit, I now fill up with M91. My car runs fine but the quality of the fuel is terrible. It is just a matter of time before the fuel pump in my car goes berserk,” he says.

His sentiments are echoed by several others as new data reveals how motorists are ditching the higher-grade M95 fuel for the cheaper alternative.

As per the data from the National Centre of Statistical Information (NCSI) the sale of M91 rose by 30 per cent, to 5.1 million barrels, between January and August this year, compared with last year.

In contrast, M95 sales declined by 14 per cent to 10.2 million barrels this year.

But, making this switch could harm your car and lead to burning deeper holes in your pocket, points out Sami Ali al Zadjali, a chemical engineer working with a petroleum refinery in the Sultanate.

“As it is, the fuel in Oman is of very low grade. It has been noted to be of lesser quality than that available in the UAE and even Saudi Arabia. Moreover, people are only given the choice of RON91 and RON95 (or M91 or M95) – two fuels that are considered to be unfit for performance cars.

“In the UAE, they charge high fuel prices because they provide actual high-grade fuel like RON98 (M98). They are not giving you any sub-standard fuel when you are giving them your hard-earned money.

“This means that a car that ages in Oman will be prone to more damage due to impurities in the fuel or the lack of power due to lesser burning efficiency of the fuel. Because of this, you may have to replace your cylinders or even your fuel pump, especially if you are driving a car with a turbocharged engine or even any performance engine. “My advice would be to stick to M95,” he says.

In an interview with local daily Times of Oman, Ahmed al Hooti, a member of the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) says: “Most people in Oman use their own cars to travel and their salary isn’t a lot so there is an effect on residents. Therefore, we see people trying to cope with this issue using M91.”

Compromises made in fuel expenses is only one side of the story, though, as the residents of the country are now saying that they are now shelling out more riyals than ever before when it comes to purchasing goods and services used for living.

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