WORLD
UAE’s decision to quit OPEC set to ramp up crude oil flow, soften prices
- IBJ Bureau
- Apr 29, 2026
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has said that it is quitting the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
The UAE’s decision deals a blow to the oil producers’ group, as an unprecedented energy crisis caused by the Iran war exposes discord among the Gulf nations.
The exit of the UAE – one of the group’s biggest producers – weakens the OPEC’s control over global oil supplies and widens a rift between the UAE and its neighbour Saudi Arabia, effectively the leader of the OPEC.
It could also free the UAE to increase output once exports through the Gulf resume, as it would no longer be governed by the OPEC’s quotas.
In his first public comments since the announcement, UAE Energy Minister Suhail Mohamed al-Mazrouei has told the Reuters in a telephone interview that the decision has been taken after examining the country’s energy strategies.
He has added that the UAE has not discussed the issue with any other country.
“This is a policy decision. It has been done after a careful look at current and future policies related to level of production,” Mr Mazrouei has said.
He has also said that the world will demand more energy, implying that the UAE will be positioned to meet that need.
The UAE’s exit represents a win for US President Donald Trump, who in a 2018 address to the UN General Assembly had accused the organisation of “ripping off the rest of the world” by inflating oil prices.
Mr Trump has also linked US military support for the Gulf nations with oil prices, saying that while the US defends the OPEC members, they “exploit this by imposing high oil prices”.
Analysts have said that the UAE’s exit is also positive for consumers and the broader economy.
“This opens the door for the UAE to gain global market share when the geopolitical situation normalises,” Monica Malik, the chief economist at ADCB has said.
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