Saudi Arabia recently raised eyebrows with conflicting reports of its BRICS membership. In light of this confusion, BricsConnect has compiled this special report on the kingdom to offer some context to its relationship with BRICS.
Saudi Arabia’s apparent indecision around BRICS contradicts the strong efforts it has made in recent years to spread its international influence.
For example, late last year Saudi Arabia revealed that it plans to invest SR2 billion ($533 million) in African development projects. It has also enjoyed warm trade relations with BRICS members like South Africa, resulting in soaring tourism between the two countries.
Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia was expected to join the alliance, along with new members, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. Argentina was also invited to join BRICS, made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa at the time, but its incoming leadership indicated towards the end of last year that this might not happen.
But soon after initial reports that Saudi Arabia had taken up BRICS membership, it emerged that it was getting cold feet. Even after South African international relations minister Naledi Pandor announced on January 31 that Saudi Arabia, along with four others had joined the alliance, there was still talk that this was not the case.
A Reuters report suggested that Saudi Arabia is taking a number of geopolitical scenarios into consideration. For one thing, the growing tensions between the U.S., China and Russia. At the same time, the kingdom’s growing relationship with Beijing has caused concern in Washington.
“While officially joining the group is advantageous for the Kingdom’s economy, it must carefully consider the political implications it may have on its relations with other major powers,” Hesham Alghannam, director general of the Security Research Center at Naif Arab University for Security Sciences, told Reuters.
“The Kingdom aims to maintain an equal distance from all major powers and, at present, it does not want to send any signals that could be misinterpreted by any party.”
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