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United Arab Emirates

April 29, 2026

Abu Dhabi 12:25 pm

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Analysis

UAE’s OPEC exit rattles cartel as Gulf alliances shift

OPEC's fourth-largest producer will leave the cartel on May 1, marking the most significant departure in the group’s history as the war changes Abu Dhabi's relationship priorities.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

MUMEN KHATIB/AFP via Getty Images

Why UAE's decision to leave OPEC is major shift for cartel

The UAE accounts for 12% of OPEC's output, but tensions had been simmering over intragroup rivalries and the country wanting to export more oil.

United Arab Emirates

Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP via Getty Images

First LNG tanker transits Strait of Hormuz since Iran war began

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Last Updated: April 28, 2026, 8:54 am

UAE to leave OPEC on May 1

Thomas Kronsteiner/Getty Images)

United Arab Emirates

UAE’s cash request tests US ties as Iran war strains Gulf financial muscle

A view of Dubai Marina in Dubai on March 3, 2026.

United Arab Emirates

IEA delivers grim gas supply forecast as oil notches 15% weekly rise

A liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker is moored at a LNG berth in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, prefecture April 8, 2026.

Samuel Wendel

Senior Market Research Analyst

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Adam Lucente

News and Business Correspondent

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

Jack Dutton

Chief Business Correspondent

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran

Vanessa Ghanem

In Dubai, reporting on business, energy and politics

Mohammed Soliman

In Washington, DC, reporting on Gulf politics

GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images

UAE-Israel trade already tops last year

The increase in bilateral trade follows the signing of a trade agreement.

Abu Dhabi

Emirati AI firm G42 launches $10 billion investment fund

The UAE is seeking to become a leader in artificial intelligence, and has also successfully attracted some fintech firms.

United Arab Emirates

Press conference after meeting in the western Cypriot city of Paphos, on April 16, 2021.

Emirates launches codeshare deal with Aegean as UAE-Greece ties continue to strengthen

The United Arab Emirates and Greece have signed a variety of political, defense and economic agreements in recent years.

United Arab Emirates

This picture taken on May 9, 2021 shows a view of the Dubai city skyline as seen from the Burj Khalifa, currently the world's tallest building at 828 metres. (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP) (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images)

Gulf states changing labor, visa and residency policies to attract foreign wealth, talent

Robert Mogielnicki

Robert Mogielnicki

UAE Masdar

UAE’s Masdar to work on solar and wind power projects in Tanzania

The UAE is diversifying its economy and seeking closer relations with several sub-Saharan African states.

Central bank

UAE laws clamp down on money laundering, terrorism financing

The Emirates recently sanctioned some financial institutions in the country.

United Arab Emirates

stock exchange

Foreign investment grows in Abu Dhabi stock exchange

The UAE has invested in several regional states this year.

United Arab Emirates

GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images

More gas discovered off coast of Abu Dhabi

The field, which is operated by Italy’s Eni, has yielded considerable natural gas to the UAE this year.

Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency exchange receives approval to operate in Dubai

FTX is among several cryptocurrency firms that have announced moves to the UAE, which instituted a regulatory mechanism for virtual assets earlier this year.

Total Energies

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company to increase footprint in Egypt

The oil firm’s move to buy half of TotalEnergies' stake in the country is the latest example of Emirati investment in Egypt.

Dubai skyline

UAE Central Bank announces more sanctions

The Emirates is seeking to improve its record on financial transparency after being implicated in money laundering and sanctions evasion controversies.

Visitors stand in front of works by Bybit on display during the 15th edition of Art Dubai at Madinat Jumeirah in the Gulf emirate of Dubai, on March 10, 2022. - Art Dubai, the Middle East's largest annual contemporary art fair, featured for the first time digital works, as the wealthy Gulf emirate seeks to position itself as a crypto-assets hub. - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY MENTION OF THE ARTIST UPON PUBLICATION - TO ILLUSTRATE THE EVENT AS SPECIFIED IN THE CAPTION (Photo by Karim SAHIB / AFP)

UAE's crypto push seeks to draw in high-net-worth individuals

Sebastian Castelier

Sebastian Castelier

In Dubai, reporting on regional business