Adnoc restricts diesel sale at Sharjah stations

State oil company Adnoc is restricting the sale of in-demand diesel in Sharjah and the Northern Emirates to between the hours of 11pm and 6am.

The move comes as heavy trucks and transport vehicles cause tailbacks at filling stations as they fight for limited supplies. Across the UAE – outside of Dubai – lorry drivers were queuing for as long as 12 hours to fill their tanks with cut-price diesel supplied by Adnoc.

Vehicles have been flooding into Adnoc stations as its competitors, which buy at internartional rates, have more than doubled the price of diesel recently. Adnoc sells diesel for Dh8.60 a gallon, while Emirates Nationaal Oil Company (Enoc), Emarat and Emirates Petroleum Products Company (Eppco) stations in Dubai and the Northern Emirates charge Dh19.25 a gallon. A supervisor at Sharjah's congested Adnoc station in Al Ramdhaa, Sharjah, said traffic congestion in the area was an issue even before the start of the diesel price crisis. But the traffic problem worsened with the flow of more trucks, which are queuing for hours.

The supervisor said Adnoc had instructed that pick-up trucks and small buses are served from 11pm until 6am.

He said Sharjah police patrols had been deployed near some stations to ensure customers are committed to timings. Meanwhile, supervisor of Adnoc's Al Niaimiya station in Ajman said the sale of diesel to heavy trucks starts at 11pm until 6am. He said congestion is also caused by small cars that queue to get E-plus petrol, which is cheaper.

In Ras Al Khaimah, Adnoc stations receive fewer trucks compared to Sharjah and Ajman. This can be noticed at Adnoc station in Ain Khat, which supplies diesel round the clock.