Amidst the panoramic discussions at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Saudi Arabian Minister of Commerce, Majid al-Kasabi announced that while the Kingdom has received an invitation to join the BRICs consortium of developing countries, there is no official affiliation yet.
As Al-Kasabi expressed, "We have been invited to participate in BRICs meetings. However, the formalization of our joining has not occurred yet." This is the first statement from Saudi authorities subsequent to the suggested joining timeframe of January 1 lapsed.
His comment cleared the air on the Kingdom’s stance particularly after Saudi's state broadcast spread news stating that the nation had amalgamated with the association, but later withdrew the reports from their public channels.
Requests seeking additional insight into this matter from the Saudi administration have yet to find a response.
This association of countries, encompasses Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. In August, invitations were extended to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Iran, Argentina, and Ethiopia for integration, though in November Argentina indicated a decision to pass on the opportunity.
The underlying context to Saudi Arabia’s deliberation of the invite is a growing geopolitical pressure cooker between the US and China. Concurrently, Riyadh’s burgeoning proximity with Beijing has sparked unease in the US corridors of power.
Despite the bonds between Saudi Arabia and the US remaining robust, trepidations concerning Washington's lessened commitment towards maintaining Gulf security have made the Saudi government more independent in its pursuits.
