BRICS Has 10 or 11 Members? Saudi Arabia’s Status Questioned

Source: TribunNews.com | Original Published At: 2026-09-14 04:38:20 UTC

Key Points

• The 18th BRICS Summit concluded in New Delhi on 13 September 2026, adopting the New Delhi Declaration under the theme "Building Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability."
• BRICS official documents and India's protocol materials list the bloc as having 11 members, including Saudi Arabia and Indonesia.
• Saudi Arabia has not formally ratified full membership and its official communications continue to describe the kingdom as an "invited country."
• The absence of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and a Saudi representative from a ceremonial tree-planting and photo session at the summit reinforced questions about Riyadh's status.
• The article links Saudi caution to maintaining strategic relations with the United States, while Brazil was also absent but represented by its foreign minister.