Middle East Council on Global Affairs
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The UAE’s Exit from OPEC: When Politics and Oil Mix - Middle East Council on Global Affairs
August 19, 2026 - While the UAE has stated that its decision to leave OPEC was not directed at any particular member state, and was made in pursuit of its national economic interests, its exit reflects a broader geopolitical evolution underway in the Gulf and ...
Middle East Institute
mei.edu › home › what does the uae’s departure mean for opec+?
What Does the UAE's Departure Mean for OPEC+? - Middle East Institute
May 8, 2026 - The Emirati utilization rate has dropped as its capacity has grown faster than its production; in 2021, its average utilization rate was 73%. Thus, the UAE’s exit was not motivated solely by its inability to produce as much as it liked but also by the fact that it was obliged to keep a greater share of its available capacity unused than any other OPEC+ member.
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UAE Leaves OPEC: UAE to boost oil production after leaving ...
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Watch: Why has the UAE left Opec - and why does this matter?
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UAE announces shock exit from OPEC oil cartel | ABC NEWS - YouTube
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Why The UAE Walked Away From OPEC - YouTube
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What is really behind UAE’s decision to leave OPEC? - YouTube
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United Arab Emirates Leaves OPEC In Favor Of ‘National Interest’ ...
U.S. Energy Information Administration
eia.gov › todayinenergy › detail.php
UAE’s exit from OPEC+ reduced the group’s share of crude oil production and capacity - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
June 23, 2026 - On April 28, 2026, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced that it was leaving OPEC, effective on May 1.
Reuters
reuters.com › markets › commodities › uae-says-it-quits-opec-opec-statement-2026-04-28
UAE leaves OPEC in blow to global oil producers' group | Reuters
April 29, 2026 - Oil prices on international markets trimmed gains on Tuesday following the UAE's announcement it would on May 1 leave OPEC and OPEC+, which brings together OPEC and allied producers.
Al Jazeera
aljazeera.com › news › opec
What are OPEC and OPEC +, and why has the UAE quit? | OPEC News | Al Jazeera
The Gulf state is the latest to quit the group, which was created to form a united front on oil pricing.
Published: April 28, 2026
Middle East Council on Global Affairs
mecouncil.org › home › the uae’s opec exit leaves the gulf further adrift
The UAE’s OPEC Exit Leaves the Gulf Further Adrift - Middle East Council on Global Affairs
May 5, 2026 - The UAE’s OPEC exit signals more than an oil market shift, exposing Saudi-Emirati rivalry, U.S. alignment, and growing fractures within Gulf regional cohesion.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/outoftheloop › what's going on with uae exiting opec and how this is gonna impact on them?
r/OutOfTheLoop on Reddit: What's going on with UAE exiting OPEC and how this is gonna impact on them?
April 29, 2026 -
Starting on May 1, 2026, the UAE is exiting OPEC. Why they're exiting the OPEC and how is this gonna effect OPEC and the UAE?
Article:
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/29/shocking-uae-exit-rocks-opec-but-group-will-still-hold-significant-sway-over-the-oil-market.html
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Answer: OPEC members are limited on the amount of oil they can pump by OPEC, which uses the quota as a way to control oil supply, and the prices of oil. The UAE wants to pump on their own terms, so they are leaving OPEC. The UAE is one of the few members with excess output capacity, so they have more flexibility than other OPEC members. This will hurt OPEC in general and especially Saudi Arabia, which needs high oil prices to fund random projects like building a city in the middle of the desert or sportswashing human rights abuses by hosting golf tournaments. Without the UAE, Saudi Arabia will have to cut its own production to change prices, which means that it might be hurt by lower oil prices and having to withhold its own production to control prices.
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Answer: The UAE is exiting OPEC because of money. They are a small country, but they have a LOT of oil. Furthermore, they have a portion of their country on the other side of the Strait of Hormuz, thus allowing them to get around the US/Iran blockade. However, OPEC has a limit on how much oil a member country can produce and sell. As the UAE being a major tourist attraction is being undercut by the US/Iran War, leaving OPEC and being able to sell more oil would help them in the long run.
BBC
bbc.com › news › articles › cj4pxwlr52yo
United Arab Emirates to quit oil cartel Opec
April 29, 2026 - The UAE's decision to leave Opec will not have an immediate impact on global energy supply, due to the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz, but could lead to a longer-term boost in output.
Arab Center DC
arabcenterdc.org › home › why the uae’s opec withdrawal matters beyond oil
Why the UAE’s OPEC Withdrawal Matters Beyond Oil
May 1, 2026 - The UAE's withdrawal from OPEC is the most significant departure yet from the organization because it marks the first time that one of the major oil producing members has decided to go its own way.
CNBC
cnbc.com › 2026 › 05 › 16 › uae-decision-to-leave-opec-was-not-a-political-move.html
UAE says its decision to leave OPEC was a strategic economic move, not a political one
May 16, 2026 - The United Arab Emirates, which joined OPEC in 1967, announced last month it was leaving the oil producer group on May 1.
Forbes
forbes.com › sites › jamesbroughel › 2026 › 05 › 02 › the-uae-quit-opec-because-its-sovereign-wealth-now-dwarfs-oil
The UAE Quit OPEC Because Its Sovereign Wealth Now Dwarfs Oil
May 4, 2026 - Oil prices spiked above $126 this week, but the UAE’s biggest asset no longer comes out of the ground. With more than $1.7 trillion now sitting in Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth funds, the country’s financial future depends far more on global markets than on OPEC quotas — which is why it just walked away from the cartel.
Council on Foreign Relations
cfr.org › articles › why-the-uae-walked-out-on-opec-and-what-it-means-for-the-cartel
Why the UAE Walked Out on OPEC—and What It Means for the Cartel | Council on Foreign Relations
April 28, 2026 - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced on Tuesday that it is withdrawing from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
Al Jazeera
aljazeera.com › news › oil and gas
UAE leaves OPEC in blow to oil cartel during war on Iran | Oil and Gas News | Al Jazeera
The United Arab Emirates has announced its decision to quit OPEC and OPEC+ to focus on “national interests”, dealing a heavy blow to the oil-exporting groups at a time when the US-Israel war on Iran has caused a historic energy ...
Published: April 29, 2026
AP News
apnews.com › article › opec-united-arab-emirates-leaving-cartel-4966108c3fafacb67181152216deda14
UAE will leave OPEC in a blow to the oil cartel | AP News
The United Arab Emirates will leave OPEC effective Friday, stripping the oil cartel of its third-largest producer and further weakening its leverage over global oil supplies and prices.
Published: April 29, 2026
Institute for Energy Research
instituteforenergyresearch.org › home › the uae leaves opec
The UAE Leaves OPEC - IER
May 4, 2026 - The National News reports that the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the world’s seventh-largest oil producer, will withdraw from the Organization…
Voronoi
voronoiapp.com › energy › As-UAE-Leaves-OPEC-Export-Data-Reveals-Shift-in-Power-8179
As UAE Leaves OPEC, Export Data Reveals Shift in Power
May 10, 2026 - The numbers point to a deeper shift: economic power inside OPEC has changed, and the UAE no longer fits neatly within the group’s structure.
OilPrice.com
oilprice.com › home › energy › energy-general
UAE’s Shock Exit Leaves OPEC Weakened and the Global Oil Order Rewritten | OilPrice.com
May 5, 2026 - OPEC has weakened with the exit of United Arab Emirates, losing a key producer with spare capacity and reducing its ability to influence global oil supply and prices.
BBC
bbc.com › news › articles › c70vjpny0dno
In five charts: How UAE's exit could affect Opec's influence over the oil price
More recently, when the price of crude oil crashed due to a lack of buyers during the coronavirus pandemic, Opec+ slashed production to boost prices. Its response to soaring oil prices after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 was more muted - it pledged to raise production slightly, before slashing it later that year. In its first meeting since the UAE left Opec, Opec+ decided members would increase production by 188,000 barrels per day from June.
Published: May 3, 2026
RealClearWorld
realclearworld.com › articles › 2026 › 06 › 04 › the_real_politics_behind_uaes_opec_exit_1186784.html
The Real Politics Behind UAE’s OPEC Exit | RealClearWorld
June 4, 2026 - The UAE’s decision to leave the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, while initially shocking markets, had in fact been signalled by years of growing tension between the Emirates and other members of the organisation. The withdrawal reflects structural changes in the oil market, increasing competition for market share, and diverging political and commercial interests within OPEC itself.
Al Jazeera
aljazeera.com › news › oil and gas
UAE quits OPEC: What that means for the Gulf, energy markets and beyond | Oil and Gas News | Al Jazeera
After 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.
Published: April 29, 2026