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United Arab Emirates

April 30, 2026

Abu Dhabi 11:28 am

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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.

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Latest News

First LNG tanker transits Strait of Hormuz since Iran war began

Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP via Getty Images

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

Iran's military bulks up with new Russian tanks

Tehran plans to purchase T-90 tanks from Russia, but is it enough to strengthen the Iranian military?

Are Turkey, Saudi Arabia pressuring Jordan on terror blacklist?

Jordan has been tasked with overseeing which groups fighting in Syria are designated as terrorist organizations, but its mission is complicated by alliances in the region.

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani waits for U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry before their meeting at the Diwan Palace in Doha, August 3, 2015. Kerry is meeting his Gulf Arab counterparts for talks in Qatar as he attempts to ease the concerns of key allies over the Iran nuclear deal. REUTERS/Brendan Smialowski/Pool - RTX1MTEV

Is Qatar Iran's door to the Gulf?

The recent Iranian-Qatari rapprochement has created further controversy in the Middle East but some countries see it as a positive step in alleviating the ongoing conflict.

Women stand next a graffiti painted by pro-Houthi activists on the gate of the Saudi embassy in Yemen's capital Sanaa October 21, 2015. The writing reads, "We will kneel only to Allah". REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah - RTS5FPV

How to end the war in Yemen

All involved in the war in Yemen, which has created a horrific humanitarian disaster, have paid a high price. A political solution is needed immediately.

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi (L) meets with UAE Foreign Affairs Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (R) and brother Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi in this handout picture released by Emirates News Agency WAM July 9, 2012. REUTERS/WAM/Handout (UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - Tags: POLITICS) FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO

Arrest of Iranian teachers tests Iran-UAE relations

The arrest of Iranian teachers working in the UAE has prompted some Iranian officials to call for firmer measures against the UAE.

United Arab Emirates

Jordan's King Abdullah (2nd R) walks to welcome Saudi Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman upon his arrival at the Royal Palace in Amman, Jordan, August 4, 2015. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed - RTX1N1AN

Jordanian palace silent on Russian intervention in Syria

Some commentators argue that Jordan's lack of comment on Russia's involvement in Syria is related to the kingdom's acceptance of Moscow's position that Syrian president Bashar al-Assad be part of a postwar transitional phase.

Former U.S ambassador Thomas Pickering speaks at the International Economic Alliance Global Investment Symposium in New York September 24, 2008. REUTERS/Jacob Silberberg (UNITED STATES) - RTX8VYI

Gulf-funded think tank to make Capitol Hill debut

The Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington promises a broader view of Gulf affairs.

Syria's president Bashar al-Assad speaks during his meeting with the heads and members of public organizations and professional associations in Damascus, Syria, in this handout released by Syria's national news agency SANA on July 26, 2015. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Sunday the army had been forced to give up areas in order to hold onto more important ones in its fight with insurgents, and the scale of the war meant the military faced a manpower shortage. REUTERS/SANA/Handout via Reuters

ATT

Congress rethinks anti-Assad stance

Senate Democrats are beginning to question regime-change goals amid Islamic State gains.

United Arab Emirates

Syrian migrants walk towards the Greece border on a road near Edirne, Turkey, September 15, 2015. REUTERS/Osman Orsal - RTS165C

Why the Gulf isn't to blame for Syrian refugee crisis

Oil-rich Gulf states are defending their record in assisting Syrian refugees as world opinion grows more hostile to their perceived indifference.

Double victory for Palestine in FIFA qualifying match

The qualifying soccer match between Palestine and the United Arab Emirates ended in a draw; both sides considered it a victory for Palestine for being able to host a home game on Palestinian territory.

Yemen's African connection

Amid the withholding of the details of the Emirati death toll in Yemen, African soldiers are set to step up their role in Operation Restoring Hope.

U.S. President Barack Obama (L) shakes hands with Saudi Arabia's King Salman at the start of a bilateral meeting at Erga Palace in Riyadh January 27, 2015. Obama sought to cement ties with Saudi Arabia as he came to pay his respects on Tuesday after the death of King Abdullah, a trip that underscores the importance of a U.S.-Saudi alliance that extends beyond oil interests to regional security. REUTERS/Jim Bourg (SAUDI ARABIA - Tags: POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTR4N5LG

What will US-Saudi summit mean for Iranian policy in the Middle East?

In a meeting Sept. 4 with US President Barack Obama, Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud was assured that the nuclear deal prevents Iran — whose influence in the region the kingdom is eager to counter — from acquiring a nuclear weapon.