DAVOS: After being invited to join the BRICS group of nations last year, Saudi Arabia is still thinking about accepting an invitation, two people with direct knowledge of the situation told Reuters on Thursday.
Saudi considering BRICS membership: In August, the group extended an offer to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Iran, Argentina, and Ethiopia to join effective January 1. However, in November, Argentina indicated that it would not accept the invitation.
The two sources stated that January 1st was not a timetable for a decision, and one of them added that joining the group would have significant advantages because China and India are two of the kingdom’s top economic partners.
One of the insiders stated, “Saudi Arabia is assessing the benefits and then will make a decision; there is a process happening.”
With more members, the BRICS—which presently consist of China, Brazil, Russia, India, and South Africa—would have greater economic clout. Additionally, it might intensify its stated goal of being an advocate for the Global South.
Saudi Arabia is debating joining the alliance at a time when geopolitical tensions between the United States, China, and Russia are on the rise and the kingdom’s improving relations with Beijing have alarmed Washington.
Worried that Washington is not as dedicated to the security of the Gulf as it once was, Saudi Arabia, while maintaining close connections with the United States, has become more independent.
“Recent Developments in Saudi Arabia’s BRICs Affiliation: Statements, Reactions, and Unraveling Events”
The commerce minister of Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday at a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos that his country had not joined the BRICs.
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, responded to the minister’s remarks by saying that Saudi Arabia’s integration into the BRIC countries was crucial work that was still ongoing on Wednesday.
Earlier this month, Saudi state TV claimed that the kingdom had joined the group, but it later took down the news from its social media platforms.
The UAE, a fellow member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), announced on its ministry of international affairs that it had accepted the offer and joined the group.
