PAKISTAN PERSPECTIVE

Pakistani coverage distinguishes itself through its geopolitical depth. Dawn opens its editorial by framing the decision within 'major geopolitical shifts that are reshaping the global order': for Islamabad, the UAE's exit is not just about quotas, but a signal that the Emirates now wants to position itself 'as an equal to Saudi Arabia,' breaking with Arab and Gulf consensus. This reading matters for Pakistan, which maintains critical alliance relationships with both countries — Riyadh for remittances and sovereign loans, Abu Dhabi for investment and diaspora workers.

Geo News unpacks the motivations: Energy Minister Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei declared that operating 'with no obligation under the group will give us flexibility' — language that amounts to acknowledging that OPEC quotas were incompatible with ADNOC's strategy. Anwar Gargash, the UAE president's diplomatic advisor, publicly criticized the Arab response to Iranian attacks as 'the weakest in history' — an explosive statement that marks the political rupture.

Dawn's editorial goes further: it recalls that OPEC was often labeled a 'cartel' by the Western press, while reminding readers of the organization's origin as a defense mechanism for the Global South against Western oil majors. The dissolution of this solidarity, per Dawn, marks the end of an era when Southern producer nations could coordinate their collective interests against financial markets and Western governments.