The former, looking at my statements again, I had a 0.4% increase in August 2008, a teeny weeny 0.005% drop in November and more substantial 3.2% drop in December. (the teeny weeny bit may have been a bank 'correction' so my not actually count, but the direction was encouraging no matter how small!)
I am in agreement with the general mood of the thread - inflation in UAE is a serious issue for all of us.
Regards
TOD