<h1>OPEC+ plans modest December output rise, pauses early 2026 hikes as AI, aviation demand and sanctions reshape market</h1> At an Abu Dhabi oil summit, officials hailed rising power needs from artificial intelligence and aviation as bullish for prices while OPEC+ announced it would add 137,000 barrels per day from December but pause planned production hikes for January-March 2026, citing seasonality and strategic price protection amid sanction-driven supply uncertainty. State-linked producers defended continued capacity expansion despite prior climate pledges, and a visiting US cabinet official criticized climate-driven policies and highlighted sanctions on Russian energy firms. A Gulf minister warned of potential LNG supply leverage over EU sustainability rules, framing energy policy as driven by demand and geopolitics.