UAE Announces Exit from OPEC and OPEC+ Effective May 1

The United Arab Emirates announced on April 28 that it will exit the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and the wider OPEC+ alliance, effective May 1, 2026. The move ends a relationship that began in 1967, when Abu Dhabi joined the group four years before the formation of the UAE federation.

In a statement carried by state media, the UAE said the decision "reflects the UAE's long-term strategic and economic vision and evolving energy profile, including higher investment in domestic energy production." 

 Energy Minister Suhail Al Mazrouei described the exit as a policy-driven evolution aligned with long-term market fundamentals.

The UAE expressed appreciation for OPEC and the OPEC+ alliance, saying it had made significant contributions during its tenure but that the time had come to focus on national interest and on its commitments to investors, customers, partners, and global energy markets.

For the UAE economy, the exit reinforces a long-running strategic pattern: the use of energy policy to underwrite a diversified, investment-led economic model. Real estate, infrastructure, tourism, and financial services have become the visible pillars of that diversification, with sustained investment driving development activity across both Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

The OPEC exit takes effect on May 1, 2026.