The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia join the BRICS.

The United Arab Emirates have officially joined the BRICS group after a successful application ratified by the five founding nations. The Federative Republic of Brazil, the Russian Federation, the Republic of India, the People’s Republic of China, and the Republic of South Africa announced this news during the 15th BRICS summit held in Johannesburg from August 22 to 24, 2023.

Background and Engagements with BRICS

The United Arab Emirates commit to multilateral action and constructive dialogue, facilitated by active platforms representing developing and emerging economies on the international stage. By becoming a member of an expanded BRICS group, this reflects the UAE’s willingness to uphold the value of multilateralism in support of peace and development for the benefit of the well-being of people and nations worldwide.

The United Arab Emirates has long been a partner of the BRICS group, participating in the “Friends of BRICS” forum in June in Cape Town, held in conjunction with the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ meeting, chaired by the Republic of South Africa. The UAE also joined the New Development Bank of BRICS in October 2021, established in 2015 to mobilize resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in emerging markets, developing countries, and BRICS nations.

2024: Integration and Official Announcement of the United Arab Emirates

In response to the successful request from the United Arab Emirates to join BRICS, His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, stated: “We express our gratitude to the five founding members of this important group, and our successful application reflects the BRICS approach to partnerships and its strong spirit of friendship.”

His Highness added: “This development is part of the UAE’s commitment to promoting constructive dialogue through active platforms representing developing and emerging economies, and the country’s focus on long-term economic prosperity and maintaining balanced strategic and economic relations, including with international organizations, in a constantly evolving global order. The United Arab Emirates has consistently advocated the value of multilateralism in support of peace, security, and development worldwide.”

In turn, His Excellency Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, Minister of State, stated: “We express our gratitude regarding the agreement of the leaders of BRICS countries on the inclusion of the United Arab Emirates in this important group from January 2024, and we thank them for their trust in this regard. The United Arab Emirates seeks to support multilateralism and partnerships to achieve development, prosperity, and benefits for all countries and peoples.”

His Excellency Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan continued: “The inclusion of the United Arab Emirates in the BRICS group reflects its commitment to international and multilateral cooperation to achieve sustainable development for all countries worldwide.”

Commenting on this occasion, His Excellency Ahmed Al Sayegh, Minister of State, emphasized: “The United Arab Emirates is a global hub for trade and economic development, with a foreign policy focused on supporting long-term economic prosperity. The country adopts innovative strategies and strives to build a knowledge-based and diverse economy, enhanced by scientific and technological progress.”

His Excellency Al Sayegh highlighted: “Over the past five decades, the United Arab Emirates has worked to strengthen international partnerships. Its membership in BRICS reflects the country’s open approach to enhancing collaboration with international economic institutions. The United Arab Emirates is rapidly mobilizing to enhance the competitiveness and sustainability of its economy while exploring new opportunities.”

For her part, Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, stated: “We are delighted to join the BRICS group, which the United Arab Emirates recognizes as a mechanism to promote global peace, stability, and prosperity.”

Her Excellency Al Hashimy concluded: “The United Arab Emirates believes in upholding multilateralism and actively contributes to important international arenas. This includes engagement with BRICS, regular participation in the G20 process, and hosting the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in November. The United Arab Emirates emphasizes that the future of global security and prosperity relies on strong multilateral partnerships and international cooperation, as well as a shared commitment to achieving stability and development.”

Implications and Objectives

The United Arab Emirates considers its accession to BRICS as a means to strengthen international economic partnerships while continuing to maintain balanced relations with other global powers, including the United States, Europe, Japan, and South Korea.

This expansion of BRICS marks a significant step in the efforts of developing countries and emerging economies to reshape international relations. The United Arab Emirates believes that the future of global security and prosperity relies on strong multilateral partnerships and international cooperation.