Saudi Arabian energy minister Abdulaziz bin Salman
UAE and Saudi Arabia to put differences behind them
An understanding that the Opec partners are better working together appears likely to keep the peace
The recent squabble between the UAE and Saudi Arabia threatened to derail over a year of constructive collaboration between Opec and its partners to restabilise the market under their May 2020 deal. But, while such tensions may continue, they do not have to pose an existential threat to Opec’s survival. Both Opec+ combatants are pushing to increase oil production capacity by 1mn bl/d. But the UAE has been more constrained by its quota baseline than its southern neighbour, and Abu Dhabi sought to force change. Saudi Arabia was already relatively unrestricted by its baseline, having only twice in history surpassed the 11mn bl/d quota in place prior to the recent hike to 11.5mn bl/d. Several fo
Also in this section
8 December 2025
The Caribbean country’s role in the global oil market is significantly diminished, but disruptions caused by outright conflict would still have implications for US Gulf Coast refineries
5 December 2025
Mistaken assumptions around an oil bull run that never happened are a warning over the talk of a supply glut
4 December 2025
Time is running out for Lukoil and Rosneft to divest international assets that will be mostly rendered useless to them when the US sanctions deadline arrives in mid-December
3 December 2025
Aramco’s pursuit of $30b in US gas partnerships marks a strategic pivot. The US gains capital and certainty; Saudi Arabia gains access, flexibility and a new export future
