OPEC+ members approved a 188,000 barrels per day production increase for June during a virtual meeting on Sunday, despite the formal exit of the United Arab Emirates from the oil alliance.
The decision maintains the group’s strategy of gradual supply restoration, even as the departure of one of its most influential members threatens to destabilize the coalition’s long-term market share.
The United Arab Emirates officially ended its membership on May 1, 2026, citing a desire to leverage its expanded production capacity of 5 million barrels per day.
This modest quota adjustment arrives as global oil prices hover near $125 per barrel, driven by persistent supply chain disruptions and the ongoing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, the 188,000 bpd figure is largely symbolic, as several member nations, including Saudi Arabia, continue to produce well below their assigned quotas due to infrastructure bottlenecks.
The UAE’s exit marks the most significant rupture in the Saudi-Russian led partnership since its inception, signaling a shift toward independent national energy policies over collective production restraints.
By operating outside the OPEC+ framework, the UAE’s state-owned ADNOC is now free to set its own output levels to maximize revenue from high global energy prices.
Remaining members, including Iraq and Kuwait, reaffirmed their commitment to market stability, though the loss of the UAE’s volume significantly reduces the group’s total spare capacity.
The production hike is expected to have minimal impact on immediate pump prices, as the market remains focused on geopolitical tensions rather than incremental changes in paper quotas.
