OPEC has barred five of the world’s biggest news organisations—Bloomberg, Reuters, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and the Financial Times—from attending its 9th International Seminar, which opened on Wednesday at Vienna’s Hofburg Palace. The two-day conference draws oil ministers from the cartel’s 13 members, officials from the wider OPEC+ alliance and senior executives from international energy companies. The organisation gave no public explanation for the exclusions. Secretary-General Haitham Al-Ghais has previously defended OPEC’s right to control access, saying, “This is our house.” The decision extends similar restrictions imposed at earlier meetings and has raised fresh questions about transparency at a time when the group’s production policy is under close scrutiny. Despite the media ban, delegates are expected to debate long-term investment needs, market stability and the role of fossil fuels in the energy transition. Speakers include Venezuelan vice-president and oil minister Delcy Rodríguez, alongside ministers from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other producing nations.