Dubai:The United Arab Emirates' decision to exit the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) after almost 60 years is as much a political as a business move -- one that could not only deal a significant blow to the oil cartel and its de facto leader, Saudi Arabia, but also to Riyadh's defence partner, Pakistan. 

Tensions have been simmering between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh for a while, but were partially covered by their shared anger with Tehran over its attacks on the Gulf states since the start of the US-Israel war on Iran. 

"The Emirates were not happy to have to constrain themselves, particularly when they wanted to pump more, and the Saudis wanted to pump less," Firas Maksad, director of Middle East at Eurasia Group, told The Financial Times.

The UAE has also been frustrated with Pakistan, partly because of its deepening ties with Saudi Arabia, but also because of what it considers Islamabad's meek role as a mediator between the US and Iran, and not holding Tehran accountable for attacks on the Gulf during the war. 

Pakistan's role as mediator annoyed the UAE, as it "sees things in kind of black and white at the moment", Neil Quilliam, an associate fellow at Chatham House, told the UK-based financial daily. 

Source:Ndtv