UAE quits OPEC: What that means for the Gulf, energy markets and beyond
Key takeaways
- UAE signalling intent to pursue independent economic policies and reshape Gulf oil politics.
- The move is seen as a major blow to the Vienna-based oil cartel – but will not spell the end of it altogether, observers say.
- The UAE’s decision to quit comes after years of open dissatisfaction with the oil cartel’s policy of capping members’ production as a way to control prices and stabilise the market.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
UAE signalling intent to pursue independent economic policies and reshape Gulf oil politics.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo People walk past an installation depicting barrel of oil with the logo of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) during the COP29 United Nations climate change conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, on November 19, 2024 [File: Maxim Shemetov/Reuters]By Virginia Pietromarchi Published On 29 Apr 202629 Apr 2026After decades of membership, the United Arab Emirates has decided to quit the oil producers’ group, OPEC, in order to focus on “national interests” and forge its own path, it has said. The move is seen as a major blow to the Vienna-based oil cartel – but will not spell the end of it altogether, observers say.
The UAE’s decision to quit comes after years of open dissatisfaction with the oil cartel’s policy of capping members’ production as a way to control prices and stabilise the market.