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IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire
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The UAE – (not) just another BRICS member?

Admission to BRICS strengthens the Emirates’ economic and foreign policy ambitions

Although the UAE seem like an unusual member of BRICS, the Emirates have embraced their admission to join the group in 2024. Being a BRICS-member furthers Abu Dhabi’s agenda to become an economic hub and is part and parcel of its diversified foreign relations. For Europe this should be a wake-up call.

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A year and a half after being admitted to BRICS, the UAE feels vindicated in its decision to join. Although the Emirates may seem like an unusual member at first glance, BRICS fits perfectly with the UAE's political DNA. On the one hand, membership in the BRICS club supports the Emirates' geo-economic approach, which is increasingly establishing itself as a global economic hub and a key investor in developing and emerging countries. In addition, BRICS membership is another piece in a larger political approach with which the UAE seeks to establish relations with all sides and strengthen the role of the Global South in a multipolar world order. For Europe, this is a challenge – but no reason to panic.

 

The full-length country report is only available in German.

 

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Contact Philipp Dienstbier
Philipp Dienstbier_Portrait
Director of the Regional Programme Gulf States
philipp.dienstbier@kas.de +962 6 59 24 150
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