Although retailers have been warned not to increase the prices of essential food products and goods in Ramadan without a written approval from authorities, shoppers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) say they have noticed an increase in prices compared to previous weeks, reported Gulf News.

Price surges were recorded between 10% and 40% on a variety of food items in essential categories such as fruits and vegetables, revealed a quick check carried out by Gulf News.

According to shoppers, some prices have almost doubled as a kg of bananas rose from AED 4 to AED 7.5, while 2kg of sugar rose from AED 7 to AED 15.