UAE seeks to strengthen East-West links through BRICS, senior official says

Source: The National | Original Published At: 2026-09-12 08:09:49 UTC

Key Points

• UAE Assistant Foreign Minister Omran Sharaf said the UAE is using its BRICS membership to strengthen trade, economic and people-to-people links between East and West.
• Sharaf, the UAE's BRICS sherpa, described BRICS as a platform for convergence and for giving the Global South greater access to other parts of the world.
• BRICS expanded in 2024 to include the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran, Indonesia and Ethiopia, and the bloc says its members account for 49.5% of the world's population and about 40% of global GDP at purchasing power parity.
• Attention is focused on whether BRICS leaders can agree on a joint declaration after foreign ministers failed to reach consensus in May.
• Sharaf said differences among BRICS members reflect national interests and are a natural feature of a multipolar world.
• The UAE delegation is led by Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, while leaders from Russia, Egypt, Iran and China are attending or expected at the summit.
• Sharaf said disruption of maritime chokepoints, including the Strait of Hormuz, has underscored the need for alternative trade routes, with the UAE advancing logistics projects linked to initiatives such as the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor.