Saudi Arabia is yet to join BRICS as the Kingdom is weighing its options of pros and cons. Despite not joining the alliance, Saudi Arabia has been taking part in all of the BRICS events conducted in 2024. The Kingdom sent its representatives to attend two different Sherpa meetings this year in Russia.
The development indicates that Saudi Arabia might also attend the BRICS summit this year in October. The 16th summit is scheduled to take place in the Kazan region in Russia. Last year, several countries were invited to attend the summit despite not officially being a part of the bloc. Several developing countries will also be invited to partake in the summit this time around.
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Therefore, Saudi Arabia might attend the upcoming BRICS summit even if they keep the decision to join the alliance on pending. Russian diplomat Sergey Ryabkov said that the Kingdom has nothing against BRICS and looks up to the alliance. The Kingdom’s representatives told Russia that “the work on the corresponding decision continues”.
Saudi Arabia will likely conclude if they want to join the alliance or not by April end. “The situation regarding the composition is quite clear. President Putin announced in his January 1 statement that five countries were joining BRICS, including Saudi Arabia,” he said. However, he added that “the country did not repudiate it, nor did it give any commentary that this information was false”.
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Why Is Saudi Arabia Delaying Joining The BRICS Alliance?
Saudi Arabia is looking at various options about the prospects of joining BRICS. The Kingdom wants to maintain a balance between BRICS and the West as the country needs the support of both.
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The BRICS invitation comes at a time when Saudi is looking to open the country for tourism. The liberalization of the Kingdom needs the support of the West but joining BRICS could underpin the trust.