UAE Leaves OPEC 2026: Brent Hits $113 — What $4.18 Gas Means for Your Budget

# UAE Leaves OPEC 2026: Brent Hits $113 — What $4.18 Gas Means for Your Budget

> **Quick answer:** The UAE announced its exit from OPEC and OPEC+ effective May 1, 2026, ending nearly 60 years of membership. Brent crude jumped to roughly $113 per barrel on the news. The national average gas price hit $4.18 per gallon — the highest point of 2026 so far. With the Strait of Hormuz already disrupted by the Iran war, OPEC is now structurally weaker at the worst possible moment.

The UAE leaves OPEC 2026 story is the single biggest structural shift in global oil governance in years. Announced April 28 and effective May 1, the UAE's departure strips the cartel of its third-largest producer at a moment when the Iran war is already squeezing Gulf supply through the Strait of Hormuz.

## What Happened: UAE Officially Exits OPEC After 60 Years

Abu Dhabi joined what was then the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries in 1967 and formalized its membership upon independence in 1971. That relationship ends May 1, 2026.

UAE Energy Minister Suhail Mohamed al-Mazrouei described the move as "a policy decision" made "after a careful look at current and future policies related to level of production." The language was deliberate: this is not a crisis exit but a strategic repositioning.