UAE To Leave OPEC And OPEC+ From May 1 After Long-Running Tensions Over Production Limits

The United Arab Emirates will exit OPEC and the OPEC Plus alliance, a move that redefines regional energy diplomacy and production policy. The UAE aims for gradual output management aligned with demand, signalling a measured shift rather than a sudden break, while pursuing domestic energy investments.

The United Arab Emirates will quit the oil cartel OPEC and the wider OPEC+ alliance on May 1, ending decades of membership and reshaping energy politics in the Gulf, after long-running tension over production limits and a cooling relationship with neighbouring heavyweight Saudi Arabia.

The announcement came through the state-run WAM news agency, which framed the move as part of a broader national strategy. The UAE has pushed for more freedom to raise output, while also following its own line on regional diplomacy that has not always matched Saudi Arabia’s.

UAE OPEC exit and OPEC+ oil cartel strategy

In its statement, the UAE said: "This decision reflects the UAE's long-term strategic and economic vision and evolving energy profile, including accelerated investment in domestic energy production, and reinforces its commitment to a responsible, reliable, and forward-looking role in global energy markets."

The country also stressed that a sudden supply surge is not planned. "Following its exit, the UAE will continue to act responsibly, bringing additional production to market in a gradual and measured manner, aligned with demand and market conditions," the statement added, signalling a cautious shift rather than a sharp break.

UAE OPEC history and oil cartel timeline

The UAE’s links to OPEC stretch back more than half a century, first through Abu Dhabi’s membership in 1967, followed by the federal state’s inclusion after unification in 1971. That long partnership now ends as the global oil landscape changes and new producers reduce the cartel’s influence.

Key milestones in the UAE–OPEC relationship and regional tensions are shown below.

UAE OPEC split and Saudi oil cartel rivalry

Saudi Arabia remains the dominant member of the Vienna-based oil cartel OPEC, but influence has eased as United States crude production expanded. At the same time, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been vying for foreign investment and regional clout, especially since reforms promoted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The two neighbours once worked closely in Yemen, where they formed a coalition in 2015 against Iran-backed Houthi forces. That front later fractured, and by late December Saudi Arabia carried out airstrikes on what officials described as a weapons shipment heading to Yemeni separatists supported by the UAE, underlining the strain.

Signs of the rift have also appeared in the media sector. Saudi television networks that had long operated from Dubai, the UAE’s commercial centre, have moved more activity back to Saudi territory in recent months. The UAE’s departure from OPEC and OPEC+ now places an economic dimension on a relationship already tested by political and security disputes.