TOKYO, May 7. /TASS/. The United Arab Emirates’ withdrawal from OPEC is beneficial to Japan, but Tokyo does not openly welcome this move considering the importance of relations with Saudi Arabia, Keiichi Motohashi, Japanese energy expert and former editor-in-chief of EnergyShift magazine, told TASS.

"Japan likely welcomes increased oil production in the UAE and, consequently, lower oil prices following the UAE’s withdrawal from OPEC. On the other hand, Japan cannot express this decisively due to its relations with Saudi Arabia," he said, adding that his country strives to maintain good relations with this key OPEC member.

That said, Japan’s efforts to improve energy security are hampered by the fact that, unlike other Asian countries, it continues to provide subsidies to encourage further use of oil and other energy sources, the expert noted.

Japan is one of the main importers of Emirati oil, and the UAE, in turn, is one of the main suppliers for Tokyo, which in recent years has accounted for about 40% of all oil supplies to Japan.

The UAE’s decision to withdraw from OPEC and OPEC+ came into force on May 1, 2026. On Sunday, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) also announced the UAE’s exit effective May 1. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, CEO of ADNOC, the UAE's state oil company, has said that the country’s decision to leave the aforementioned organizations meets its sovereign interests and is not directed against other states.