Consumer prices in the UAE rose 0.4 per cent month-on-month in September, the fastest pace in three months, mainly because of higher food and education costs, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed on Tuesday.

The statistics office has yet to release the annual inflation figure for September.

Analysts have expected prices in the world's No. 4 oil exporter to pick up gradually this year as the Gulf country recovers from the Dubai debt crisis, although the UAE has introduced measures to curb food prices, including bread and rice subsidies.

The UAE economy is expected to grow by 4.2 per cent in real terms this year, expanding from 1.4 per cent growth in 2010, the statistics bureau said earlier on Tuesday.-Reuters