UAE Announces Withdrawal from OPEC and OPEC+

Darwin  29 April : Amid a wartime global energy crisis, the United Arab Emirates has announced its decision to leave the oil-producing alliances OPEC and OPEC Plus.

According to Al Jazeera, the announcement came suddenly on Tuesday local time. However, there was no immediate response from the OPEC secretariat regarding the decision.

Due to the ongoing Iran war, global energy supplies are already highly uncertain. Analysts believe that the UAE’s move could have a significant impact on the alliance.

Experts suggest that political and strategic considerations are behind this decision. Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, criticized neighboring Arab states at an event, stating that neither the Arab League nor the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) had taken adequate steps to protect the UAE amid repeated attacks by Iran.

Gargash added, “Although GCC countries provide each other with logistical support, their political and military positions are at their weakest point in history. I expected such weakness from the Arab League, but not from the GCC.”

Meanwhile, former U.S. President Donald Trump has long criticized OPEC, accusing it of artificially inflating oil prices and exploiting global markets. He argued that while the United States provides security to OPEC members, they take advantage by selling oil at higher prices.

In this context, the UAE’s decision to leave the alliance poses a major challenge to OPEC’s effectiveness. It could impact not only the global oil market but also reshape diplomatic dynamics among Middle Eastern countries.