Qatar’s Opec exit

Qatar announced its decision to pull out of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) on 3 December, shortly before the latest ministerial summit in Vienna bringing together the cartel and key allies led by Russia. Doha was keen to say its Opec decision, effective from 1 January, was ‘technical’ – given that it is a major gas producer and needs to focus on that industry’s development – but its decision was widely seen to be political.