Breaking News! UAE Decides to Exit OPEC

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has unexpectedly announced its resignation from the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), effective from 1 May. This announcement was made by the UAE’s official news agency, WAM, and signals a major shift in the global energy power map.

Quoting CNN on Wednesday (29/04/2026), this strategic step is part of the country’s long-term economic vision. The decision is also described as an effort by the UAE to more freely develop its own energy sector without being bound by group rules.

“This decision aligns with the strategic and long-term economic vision of the United Arab Emirates, as well as the development of its energy sector, including accelerating investments in domestic energy production,” reads the official statement from the UAE government.

This move represents a severe blow to OPEC and its main member, Saudi Arabia, given that the UAE is one of the world’s largest oil producers, contributing around 3% to 4% of global supply. In addition to leaving the core organisation, the statement also confirms that the UAE will exit the OPEC+ alliance, which includes Russia.

The UAE’s Minister of Energy, Suhail Al Mazrouei, provided further explanation through his statement on social media platform X. He emphasised that this policy is a form of evolution tailored to current market conditions.

“The UAE’s decision to leave OPEC reflects a policy-based evolution that aligns with long-term market fundamentals,” said Mazrouei.

Although exiting the alliance, Mazrouei assured that his country will remain actively involved in ensuring global energy availability. He stressed the UAE’s focus on responsible and low-carbon supply.

“We remain committed to energy resilience, providing reliable, responsible, and low-carbon supply while supporting a stable global market,” stated Mazrouei.

For some time, the UAE has reportedly been pressing OPEC to increase their oil production quotas. The country is aggressively expanding its production capacity far beyond the levels set by the cartel that has long regulated global oil supply and prices.

The UAE itself has been part of the long history of this organisation since joining in 1967, or seven years after OPEC was founded by Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Venezuela, and Kuwait. Now, the departure of one of the world’s top 10 producers has come under sharp scrutiny because OPEC collectively controls nearly 80% of the world’s proven oil reserves.