E-scooters swarm Dubai
Amid the increase in fuel prices in the world, which is also reflected in the UAE, transportation costs increased as well as the prices of small cars. The solution for residents with limited income is to resort to electric scooters.
The demand for driving permits to use electric scooters has significantly increased in recent months in Dubai, which is home to nearly 3.5 million people (according to 2019 Emirati government estimates).
The increasing demand for e-scooters comes in light of the rise in global fuel prices in the wake of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Public transportation in the United Arab Emirates has been particularly affected, putting a strain on low-income residents who rely on it to get to work.
Nearly 89% of UAE residents are expatriate workers, with the majority of these (59.4%) coming from South Asia, in addition to many Egyptians (10.2%) and Filipinos (6.1%). These workers, who are often employed in low-wage jobs, have increasingly resorted to scooters as a cheap transportation option.
The prices of used small cars and new cars with four-cylinder engines have also increased by about 40% due to high demand in light of the fuel prices.
