OPEC+ lifts June output quota amid UAE departure

Lead

OPEC+ has approved an increase in oil production targets for June, adding 188,000 barrels per day across its seven major member producers, the group said in a statement after a virtual meeting on Sunday. The move, the third consecutive monthly adjustment, was widely described by media outlets as largely symbolic because the closure of the Strait of Hormuz continues to choke exports from the Gulf, undermining the practical Impact.

The quota increase matches the level agreed for May, but excludes the share previously allocated to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which withdrew from the group effective May 1, according to multiple reports. The UAE had announced its departure on Tuesday, three days before quitting on Friday, as noted by AFP reporting.

Coverage of the Decision

Coverage across Africa News, Al Jazeera, Dawn, and France 24 converged on a similar framing: the quota adjustment represents a show of good will rather than a near-term supply boost. AFPs dispatch, carried by France 24 and African News, quoted Rystad Energy analyst Jorge Leon describing the measure as a signal that OPEC+ still calls the shots, given that the physical supply is limited by the Strait of Hormuz embargo.

All four outlets noted that the OPEC+ statement made no specific mention of the UAE's departure, a detail that several interpreted as sign of internal tensions. Analysts told AFP that the cartel was "projecting stability" by sticking to its previous production path, but then subtracting the UAE's share.

Reuters contributed to the reporting of the meeting through attribution in pieces, while Al Jazeera independently confirmed the figures.

Key Claims

• The seven participating OPEC+ members—Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Algeria, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Oman—agreed to raise production quotas by 188,000 barrels per day for June (multiple outlets).
• Saudi Arabia's quota will rise to 10.291 million barrels per day in June, well above its actual output of 7.76 million barrels per day reported in March (various sources).
• According to the OPEC+ statement, this adjustment aligns with "the collective commitment to support oil market stability."
• The UAE quit the group on Friday, May 1, after announcing its withdrawal three days earlier (Al Jazeera, France 24).
• The quota increase is considered largely symbolic as the daily supply is already short of capacity due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a result of the ongoing US-Israeli conflict with Iran (multiple sources).
• Crude oil output from all OPEC+ members averaged 35.06 million barrels per day in March, a 7.7 million barrel drop from February, as reported by three of the five sources.
• Russia's ability to produce at its current quota levels is reportedly strained due to the impacts of the war in Ukraine—a claim made by France 24 but not independently confirmed by other outlets in this review.

Perspectives

Analyst Commentary (Rystad Energy)

Jorge Leon, a former OPEC official and current analyst at Rystad Energy, told AFP that the message from OPEC+ is "two-layer": it signals continuity despite the UAE exit and claims control over markets, even as physical supply remains constrained. He said the cartel was acting "as if nothing had happened," downplaying internal fractures.

Notes on sourcing

Most facts are corroborated by multiple outlets including AFP and Reuters, either directly or as reprints. The claim about Russia's inability to meet quotas appears only in France 24's coverage and has not been repeated elsewhere, and the specific figure for UAE's planned output expansion by 2027 appears only in that outlet's reporting as well.