UAE Weighed OPEC Exit for Three Years, Presidential Adviser Reveals
A senior presidential adviser to the UAE has disclosed that Abu Dhabi considered leaving the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries for a period of approximately three years, a revelation that sheds significant light on long-running tensions within the oil producers' cartel over production quotas and pricing strategy.
The disclosure is among the most explicit acknowledgements by an Emirati official of the depth of frustration the UAE has felt within OPEC over its quota allocation relative to its expanded production capacity. The UAE has repeatedly sought a higher baseline quota, arguing that years of upstream investment have substantially raised its potential output, entitling it to a larger share of any collective production ceiling.
The OPEC alliance, which includes Russia and other non-OPEC producers under the OPEC-plus framework, has been managing production cuts to support oil prices. The UAE's extended consideration of withdrawal underscores the fragility of cohesion within the group, even as member states have publicly maintained a united front.
The adviser's remarks are likely to prompt diplomatic attention and market analysis at a time when OPEC-plus faces pressure to calibrate output decisions amid uncertain global demand and the ongoing US-Iran nuclear uncertainty. Any formalisation of UAE exit sentiment could have significant implications for cartel cohesion and global oil supply management.
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