Unbound UAE charts a new course

The view of the Dubai skyline from the man-made Palm Jumeira Island in the UAE. Its decision to leave Opec has rocked the region, underscoring how the country, at odds with Saudi Arabia, is increasingly charting its own course. — Katarina Premfors/The New York Times

AS Saudi Arabia prepared to host a summit of Gulf Arab leaders on April 28, poli­tical commentators in the neighbouring United Arab Emirates began furiously dropping hints online that major news was coming.

For weeks, Emirati officials had been openly expressing frustration with their Arab neighbours, complaining about their weak stance towards Iran, which had fired thousands of missiles and drones at Gulf countries in response to US and Israeli bombing.