UAE pulls out of OPEC oil cartels citing 'national interests'
World
By
AFP
| Apr 28, 2026
The United Arab Emirates will withdraw from the OPEC and OPEC+ oil cartels to focus on "national interests", it announced on Tuesday, causing fresh shockwaves as energy prices soar over the Middle East war.
The UAE, one of the world's top oil producers, which has previously chafed at OPEC production quotas, will pull out on Friday, a statement carried by the official WAM news agency said.
The UAE has been an OPEC member since 1967, with the emirate of Abu Dhabi as its representative, four years before the former British protectorate became a country.
The last OPEC member to withdraw from the cartel was Angola in 2024.
"This decision reflects the UAE's long-term strategic and economic vision and evolving energy profile," the UAE statement said.
READ MORE
KDC roots for creative economy, innovation and youth-led enterprise growth
Gulf Energy at the centre of yet another 'dirty fuel' drama
Dangote eyes Kenya as hub to raise African capital for refinery, other projects
Treasury trims economic growth forecast to 5pc on Middle East conflict
Port players protest levy on nuclear screening
State targets 192,259 new housing units despite unmet promises
What revival of Voi-Taveta railway line means for local, regional trade
Nairobi joins global cities call for new shift to renewable energy
"During our time in the organisation, we made significant contributions and even greater sacrifices for the benefit of all," it added.
"However, the time has come to focus our efforts on what our national interest dictates."
The decision, in the midst of the biggest oil shock since the 1970s, is likely to weaken OPEC, which is dominated by the UAE's neighbour and rival, Saudi Arabia, indicating further turbulence for markets, analysts said.
Gulf oil shipments are currently being strangled by Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which flows past the UAE and normally carries one-fifth of the world's oil.
The UAE, hard-hit by Iranian attacks, has also faced trouble in its relationship with Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, after a stand-off between rival forces backed by the two countries in Yemen.
MOST READ
KDC roots for creative economy, innovation and youth-led enterprise growth
BUSINESS
By James Wanzala