Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, led the United Arab Emirates delegation at the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on behalf of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as the grouping focused on economic cooperation, multilateral governance and the role of emerging economies.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the summit and welcomed leaders of BRICS member states, invited delegations and representatives of regional and international organisations. India hosted the meeting after Brazil’s previous presidency.
The summit included a high-level session on inclusive global governance and strengthening multilateralism. Discussions focused on increasing the role of developing and emerging economies in international decision-making while expanding cooperation in trade, investment, technology and development.
The UAE delegation used the summit to underline the country’s support for multilateral economic cooperation and greater participation by Global South economies in international institutions. WAM reported that the UAE views its BRICS membership as a platform for expanding economic partnerships while supporting a more resilient and inclusive global economy.
Participants also discussed practical cooperation in economic growth, investment, innovation, technological transformation, energy and food security. These areas have become central to BRICS as the group has expanded beyond its original membership and sought a larger role in global economic coordination.
The summit concluded with the New Delhi BRICS Leaders’ Declaration. According to WAM, the document set priorities for deeper economic integration, stronger intra-BRICS trade and investment, cooperation in priority sectors and further work on innovation and energy-sector transformation.
The declaration also called for broader cooperation in artificial intelligence and financial technology. The stated objective is to improve connections between emerging markets and strengthen the capacity of BRICS members to respond to economic and technological change.
The UAE is participating in BRICS as a member for the third time. It joined during the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg in August 2023, as part of a wider foreign-economic policy focused on diversified partnerships and expanded engagement with emerging markets.
The economic dimension of the relationship is already substantial. In separate remarks after the summit, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi said the UAE’s non-oil trade with BRICS countries exceeded $312 billion in the previous year and represented more than 30% of the country’s non-oil trade. He said the figure had grown 28.5% from the year before.
Those trade figures help explain why the UAE treats BRICS as more than a diplomatic forum. Cooperation with the group touches trade flows, investment, industrial partnerships, finance, technology and energy, all of which are linked to the UAE’s broader strategy of expanding non-oil economic activity.
Sheikh Khaled’s delegation included Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation; Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology; Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade; Saeed Mubarak Al Hajeri, Minister of State; and other senior Abu Dhabi and federal officials.
The summit ended with a group photograph and a joint tree-planting ceremony outside the Bharat Mandapam Convention Centre. WAM described the ceremony as a symbolic expression of cooperation among participating countries.
For the UAE, the next test of BRICS engagement will be practical implementation: whether declarations on trade, investment, artificial intelligence, financial technology and energy transition translate into projects, agreements and measurable commercial flows. The summit established the political framework, while the economic outcomes will depend on follow-through by member governments, financial institutions and businesses.
