Have you heard of OPEC? You might not have known its details, but most of us would have felt its strangling control over of global oil production. OPEC is an exclusive cartel of 12 countries that’s called itself the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Formed in 1960 by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela, OPEC acts as the major force that influences the price of oil by directly determining the quota that is exported by its participating countries. By limiting the supply of oil worldwide, OPEC fattens its own wallet. Though the countries that are part of OPEC are hardly on friendly terms with each other, the geo-political differences have not made the biggest players leave the table; it seems that mutual assured wealth has been enough reason to stay. Until now. On May 1, 2026, OPEC will see its third largest producing member, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) leave.
The reason offered by the UAE for this departure is rather murky. “It’s based on policy,” the world is told. In other words, like other OPEC departures before it, the UAE is saying that it wants to export oil without the control of OPEC (especially Saudi Arabia). But we know that in the last month since the war in Iran started, this decision has no impact on oil exports as long as the Strait of Hormuz is under Iran’s stranglehold. In other words, the UAE can’t just export more oil for a profit since there’s no way to get oil out. Further complicating the reason for this departure is that the UAE regularly trades places with Iraq as the second chair to OPEC. If any member country can influence the quotas that OPEC sets, it would be the UAE. A clue may be the increasingly hostile relationship that Iran has had with its Gulf neighbours during the war. Among the nations most targeted by Iran’s missiles and drones is Saudi Arabia and the UAE!
It reminds me of the warning in Psalm 1. “Do not walk in the counsel of the wicked.” The warning is progressive. Listen enough to the counsel the “wicked” (those without morals) and you will find yourself believing their narrative. Then as the trap closes, the Psalmist warns, “Do not stand in the way of sinners.”. Obviously, immoral attitudes lead to sinful behaviour. The idea of “standing in the way” is to find yourself as an active audience and beneficiary to ways of sin. Ultimately, we sit down at the seat made for us by the scornful – scornful of others, of the world, and of God. The UAE has been sitting in that seat with the other members of OPEC since 1967. The world calls it a “cartel” because they act as a group of countries intent on maximizing financial gain by price fixing, restricting oil supply, and restricting competition. Cartels are generally considered illegal under antitrust laws in most jurisdictions. It is no different here. What will happen in the next while as the UAE vacates that place in OPEC? One can only guess. The fact is that the country’s participation in OPEC should never have happened 57 years ago. Let’s pray that God will be seen by all. Pray that the table of the wicked may be broken. And pray that the Name of Christ may be lifted up, and the gospel may be made known in the Middle East.
