DUBAI: A number of petrol stations in oil producer United Arab Emirates experienced a sixth day of fuel shortages on Monday, limiting their services to car washes, oil changes and sale of diesel, daily Khaleej Times reported Tuesday. Stations belonging to the Dubai government-owned Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC) and its arm Emirates Petroleum Products Company (EPPCO) ran out of gasoline, the paper said. The shortage left drivers in the UAE member Dubai and neighboring emirates scrambling for fuel at rival petrol provider Emarat's stations. This is the third time petrol stations in the UAE have run dry in the last 10 months as Emarat experienced similar shortages in September and April. Cars lined at one Emarat station used up its 18,000 liters of basic fuel in under seven hours and then began using the more expensive sports car fuel to make due, the paper said. It did not give a reason for the latest shortage. ENOC officials were not available to comment. The last few months' shortages have worried traders, who are considering making some UAE fuel retailers pay higher premiums. While Emarat had blamed the earlier shortages on logistical problems, industry sources said an Emarat term supplier, trading house Vitol, refused to discharge a fuel cargo at the port because Emarat had delayed a payment.
