Amid the ongoing BRICS Summit in Russia this week, Saudi Arabia has declined membership in the alliance. The bloc announced its new partner countries on Wednesday, revealing that the Kingdom was not on the list.
Last summer, Saudi Arabia was invited to join the bloc at the 2023 BRICS summit. The ongoing saga has seen different responses from both sides throughout the year. Saudi Arabia has continuously said that it carefully observes the risks and benefits of joining the bloc. Now, the Middle Eastern country joins Argentina as the only country to decline those summer invitations from the BRICS alliance.
Reports emerged before the start of the summit that Saudi Arabia’s stance with BRICS would be declared during the meeting. Specifically, Russian Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov noted Riyadh’s participation in the alliance will be made clear after the upcoming event. “We will inform you additionally who will represent Saudi Arabia or if it will be represented at the summit at all,” Peskov said before the BRICS Summit. “Based on this, we will make conclusions.”
BRICS Decides No More Countries Will Become Official Members
It was also announced today that the BRICS partners added to the bloc on Wednesday are not full members, and no new members will be officially inducted this year. The new partner nations of BRICS are:
Algeria
Belarus
Bolivia
Cuba
Indonesia
Kazakhstan
Malaysia
Nigeria
Thailand
Turkey
Uganda
Uzbekistan
Vietnam
Also Read: The Gloves Are Off: BRICS Is Officially Challenging the US Dollar
In 2023, Saudi Arabia’s position in the bloc was considered a game changer. The oil and gas powerhouse would’ve brought forth unprecedented geopolitical benefits to the group. Yet, it also would have only magnified tensions with the West. Furthermore, these relationships are likely the basis for the country’s reluctance to join the Global South’s opposition. The reasons why the country denied membership may be made obvious after the summit concludes this weekend.
