With the upcoming 18th BRICS Summit being held in New Delhi from September 12 to 13, the BRICS club now has more nations from both the African and Middle Eastern regions that have brought in a whole new perspective to the global discussion surrounding the economy. Among the nations in BRICS from these regions are South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
The BRICS expansion has also affected the agenda of BRICS. What used to be just a group of major developing economies has increasingly turned into a stage for countries looking for more influence in the global arena.
Which African and Middle Eastern Countries Are Members of BRICS?
The first African nation to be admitted to the BRICS alliance was South Africa, which was made a full member in 2010. Egypt and Ethiopia became members in 2024, bringing the number of African countries in BRICS to three.
Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE were admitted into the expanded group in 2024. Indonesia joined the group as a full member in 2025, thereby increasing the number of full members in BRICS to eleven countries.
Nigeria and Uganda are some of the nations that have become partners of BRICS but not full members.
Why Do African Countries Want to Join BRICS?
For the African members, BRICS provides an extra avenue for investment, trade, and cooperation outside the traditional institutions run by the West.
South Africa has, for a long time, been using BRICS to ensure the voice of developing nations is heard when decisions are being made globally. Egypt and Ethiopia are interested in infrastructure investment, trade, and financing.
It is especially relevant since the governments of African nations are searching for alternative sources of costly foreign funding and trying to access technology, energy investment, and development capital.
Moreover, the New Development Bank of the BRICS Union serves as an institution through which such financing takes place, even though BRICS countries are still economically and politically diverse.
Why is the Middle East Important for BRICS?
The membership of Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) significantly strengthens the position of BRICS in the world of the energy economy.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE are prominent producers of oil and also investors, whereas Iran has vast energy reserves, though it has been under tough Western sanctions. As a result, their involvement provides BRICS with access to key energy markets and important trade routes.
Furthermore, for them, BRICS becomes an additional diplomatic forum in the face of increasing fragmentation of the international system.
Is BRICS Working to End the Dollar’s Supremacy?
Dependence on the US dollar is one of the most talked-about objectives of the bloc, yet a common currency of BRICS is neither a realistic nor agreed goal.
Instead, there are discussions of ways to make trade in national currencies and alternative payment systems smoother. India is currently advocating the introduction of a connection between central bank digital currencies used by BRICS countries to simplify cross-border payments.
The strategy is important to African and Middle Eastern countries, since removing the necessity to go through the US dollar for every payment can reduce transaction costs and eliminate currency risk exposure.
There are numerous challenges, however. The financial systems and political priorities of the BRICS countries are different, and the existing tensions between Iran and the UAE show that it will be rather challenging to integrate their financial systems even more.
What Do BRICS Countries Want from the International Financial System?
A key requirement is increased representation of developing countries in international organizations like the IMF, World Bank, and UN.
BRICS, with all new members, accounts for about 50% of the world’s population and nearly 40% of global economic output based on PPP, which gives substantial collective power to its members.
The problem is converting those common aspirations to cooperation. The 2026 summit at New Delhi is going to be an acid test for BRICS to go beyond expanding its membership and emerge as a more effective economic forum for the Global South.
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