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Abu Dhabi/Dubai: Fast food chains in the UAE have significantly hiked their prices with some meals going up as much as 30 per cent.
Residents who are already feeling the pinch in their daily lives in many ways, said there was a need to set up some sort of mechanism to control prices.
Across the board, there has been an average increase of 14 per cent within the last two months, Gulf News has learnt.
Shaikh Madhani, an Emirati media relations officer, said that the recent hike will force her to stop going regularly to the fast food outlets.
Exploitation
"This cycle of increasing prices need to stop. As far I am concerned I will not only boycott their products but will also lobby for the boycott among my friends of relatives. I view this hike as a form of exploitation," she said.
Ahmad Abdullah, an Emirati said that a mechanism to check price hike is necessary.
"One fine morning you find that prices have been increased. There must be a mechanism to ensure the price rise is in accordance with the rise in cost. Otherwise businesses will cash in on the general inflation to make unreasonable profits," he added.
KFC, Pizza Hut and Hardees have registered an average of some 10 per cent in the last month, while Burger King has increased its prices between 15 per cent to 30 per cent. A meal with two pieces of chicken at Southern Fried Chicken increased by an average of 18 per cent in the last six months from Dh 9 to Dh 12, according to Gulf News findings.
Americana Group which KFC, Pizza Hut and Hardees fall under were not available for comment when contacted by Gulf News at their offices in UAE, Kuwait and Egypt.
However, Yasser Abdul Azim, Public Relations Manager at Burger King said they did not increase the prices.
"Although the prices were increased a while ago they were rolled back later so no price rise is in effect now," said Azim.
When Gulf News pointed out that their own staff in Abu Dhabi confirmed the price rise, he claimed that such prices are promotional and are different from regular prices.
Other Burger King outlets in Dubai also confirmed the hike.
However, MacDonald has not increased their prices during the same period. Rafik Fakeh, Managing Director at MacDonald UAE, said that the latest increase they have in the country was in 2006 and was approximately 6 per cent, but are studying their business situation.
"We have not decided on any price increase, but the global price increase of raw material we like any other national company have to conduct a study on our current and future business situation .... And based on the study the decision whether an increase is needed or not will be taken in the future," said Fakeh.
S. Antonio, a Filipina, said she also suspects that price rise of fast food is out of proportion. "They may justify it citing inflation but somebody has to check whether The price rise is proportionate with the rise in costs", she suggested. She attributed the price rise to increase in rents.
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