BRICS Welcomes Five New Members in January

• Saudi Arabia, Iran, UAE, Ethiopia, and Egypt are set to join BRICS on January 1, 2024, according to South Africa’s ambassador
• The expansion aims to counter the US-led global order; Argentina declined the offer, and Nigeria aspires to join within two years

Five nations—Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, and Egypt—are set to join the BRICS group of emerging-market states on January 1, 2024. This announcement was made by South Africa’s ambassador to the bloc, Anil Sooklal, during an interview on Friday.

The BRICS group, initially comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, extended invitations to six additional nations in August, aiming to counter the dominance of the US-led global order. Russia founded the alliance in 2009, and it currently represents 42% of the world’s population, 30% of global geography, and 24% of global economic production.

The five new invitees accepted the invitation by participating in a BRICS sherpa summit in Durban, South Africa, earlier this month. They are expected to send representatives to another meeting in Moscow on January 30.

Argentina, however, declined the offer after President Javier Milei, who assumed office this month, reversed his predecessor’s intention to join the club. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov revealed that over 30 countries have expressed interest in developing links with the union.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country and largest economy, also aspires to join BRICS within the next two years, according to Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar’s statement in November. Despite attending the group’s meeting in South Africa, Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, did not show concrete interest in becoming a member.

South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor explained that the expansion of the alliance reflects the desire for alternative arrangements in the existing global power balance. This move signals a noteworthy shift in the geopolitical landscape, as BRICS continues to evolve and expand its influence on the world stage.