After UAE's Departure, OPEC Increases Oil Production to 188,000 Bpd
The world’s most influential oil cartel, OPEC+, has reportedly made its first production decision immediately following the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) official withdrawal. This decision comes amid ongoing tensions from the US-Israel war with Iran, which continues to disrupt global oil supplies in the Gulf region.
According to Reuters data, seven major crude oil exporting member countries have agreed to increase the oil production target by around 188,000 barrels per day (bpd) for June. This step is taken to maintain global energy market stability despite the departure of one of its largest producers.
This production increase is a continued response after the UAE, which holds about 13.5% of the organisation’s market share, withdrew from OPEC and the OPEC+ alliance on 1 May 2026. Abu Dhabi described the decision as a sovereign strategic choice to provide greater flexibility over national oil production.
“This step indicates that OPEC+ continues to take a business-as-usual approach despite Abu Dhabi’s decision,” said one internal source, quoted on Monday (4/5/2026).
The source added that the June production increase will be similar to last month’s rise of 206,000 bpd, but this time reduced by the UAE’s share quota. Currently, OPEC still consists of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Algeria, Libya, Nigeria, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Congo, and Venezuela, with Russia as the main ally in the OPEC+ format.
However, this 188,000 bpd production increase is considered largely symbolic by most observers. This is because shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz remain severely disrupted due to the Iran conflict, which automatically cuts exports from key members such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Kuwait.
The US-Israel bombing campaign against Iran and the closure of the waterway, which normally handles one-fifth of global energy trade, has severely impacted production figures. In March, the total production of all members averaged only 35.06 million bpd, down 7.7 million bpd from February levels.
In response to the Emirates’ exit from the cartel, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Moscow respects the sovereign decision of that country. Peskov also emphasised that Russia has no intention of leaving the group and refuted speculation that the UAE’s move would be the end of OPEC+’s existence.
“Russia has no intention of leaving this group,” Peskov asserted in response to concerns about the breakup of the oil producers’ alliance.