The United Arab Emirates has announced its withdrawal from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the broader OPEC+ format, marking one of the most significant developments in the global energy market in recent years, Qazinform News Agency reports.
According to Al Jazeera, the UAE said it would leave OPEC and OPEC+. The decision is set to take effect on May 1. The UAE, a member of OPEC since 1967, cited national interests and its long-term energy strategy as key reasons for the move. With a production capacity of around 4.8 million barrels per day and room for further growth, Abu Dhabi appears to be shifting toward a more independent oil policy.
Officials in Abu Dhabi emphasized that the move aligns with the country’s long-term strategy. UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and ADNOC CEO Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber stated: “The UAE has taken a sovereign decision in line with its long-term energy strategy, its true production capability and its national interest, as well as global energy market stability.” He added that ADNOC will continue focusing on meeting growing global energy demand and expanding supply.
Founded in 1960, OPEC was created to coordinate oil policies and stabilize global prices. In recent years, the expanded OPEC+ format, which includes major producers such as Russia and Kazakhstan, has played a key role. Together, its members account for about 40% of global oil supply.
However, internal contradictions within the agreement have been mounting. Oil and gas expert Olzhas Baidildinov believes the UAE ’s exit is a logical outcome of accumulated imbalances. “The exit from the deal is not just a political gesture, but a signal to the markets.
The era of rigid coordination can give a crack,” he said. According to him, the main issue with OPEC+ lies in the uneven distribution of obligations. Some countries, primarily Saudi Arabia, Russia, and the UAE, bore the main burden of production cuts to support prices, while others either failed to comply or increased output, taking advantage of favorable market conditions.
Such imbalance undermines the very logic of the agreement. When some countries lose market share while others expand it, incentives to comply with restrictions weaken. Another factor is structural change in the global market. Oil production is growing outside the OPEC+ framework, particularly in the United States, Canada, and other countries not bound by quotas, which respond quickly to rising prices.
This puts additional pressure on OPEC+ participants limiting their output.