The UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism published its August 2026 table from the Essential Goods Prices Platform on 17 September. The ministry said the data covered 33 basic commodities in different sizes across 13 retail outlets. Items included rice, flour, oils, eggs, dairy, legumes, chicken, bread and sugar. The figures are a monthly monitoring compilation from the ministry’s platform; they are not described as a census of every shop nationwide or as the amount paid by every consumer.

The reported averages are tied to package specifications. A one-kilogram pack of basmati rice averaged AED16.62, while a five-kilogram pack averaged AED45.53; first- and second-grade flour averaged AED7.76 for one kilogram and AED12.26 for two kilograms. Fresh full-fat milk averaged AED3.91 for a half-litre pack and AED9.46 for a one-litre pack; a 170-gram yogurt pack averaged AED1.97. One litre of canola oil averaged AED15.86, and a tray of 30 brown eggs AED23.05. The ministry separately listed selected lowest prices found at retail outlets; those minima are not the same measure as the averages.

The table offers a useful starting point for tracking household essentials, but it is not by itself an inflation rate or a measure of price change over time. Package size, brand, grade, store selection, promotions and geographic access can all affect what shoppers encounter. The ministry’s announcement does not provide a month-on-month comparison, weighting method, sampling uncertainty or the distribution of observations among outlets. The amounts here should therefore be read as average package prices in the August table. They do not establish the cost of an identical basket for every household, or prove that prices rose or fell.

The monitoring platform will be most useful if its releases remain regular and comparable. If future tables preserve the same package specifications, outlet coverage and product definitions, readers may be able to follow direction for selected items; a change in coverage or definition could instead produce a difference unrelated to an underlying price movement. A stronger inflation assessment requires an official consumer price index built with representative spending weights and a clearly specified comparison period. Shoppers should compare the listed amounts with their own store and product choices and should not treat the lowest recorded observations as universally available prices or a guaranteed nationwide floor.