After six decades of membership, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) withdrew from the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the wider OPEC+ alliance on 1 May 2026. This article argues that the UAE’s withdrawal was not merely a disagreement over production quotas, but a reflection of a broader mismatch between national economic strategy and the institutional constraints of OPEC.

Semiconductors have become the invisible infrastructure of contemporary life, enabling everything from artificial intelligence and electric vehicles to advanced defence systems and industrial automation. As these chips underpin both technological innovation and economic resilience, control over their production has become a defining issue in global politics. Governments are no longer treating semiconductors merely as commercial goods but as strategic assets, driving a worldwide push to reduce...