Egypt - geostrategic multipolarity

In Egypt, official Egyptian authorities make no secret of their interest in geostrategic multipolarity. While the European Union (EU) is Egypt's most important economic partner and it remains interested in close political relations with the EU and its member states, the Egyptian government is keen to diversify its foreign policy. For Egypt's security and stability-orientated foreign policy, with its traditionally close military cooperation with the US, BRICS membership is seen as a logical extension of its new approach of diversification and detachment from one-sided dependencies. Membership is pragmatically perceived as an economic opportunity for new trade and economic relations. Egypt hopes that BRICS membership will above all facilitate access to the BRICS Development Bank and overcome its dependence on the US dollar for international trade transactions in the medium term. It would like to be part of a potentially new and influential geopolitical structure, without necessarily jeopardising or ending existing ties with the West. It is also assumed that BRICS membership would also encourage the USA to court Egypt's favour once again, putting Egypt in a more positive strategic position as a courted player in the region.

The UAE in particular is now a geo-economically important partner for Egypt, as it accounts for nine per cent of Egypt's foreign debt. In addition, Ethiopia's inclusion in the BRICS is also geopolitically relevant for Egypt, as the two countries have been engaged in a conflict of interest over water resources for years as part of the Nile dam project. If the BRICS were to become a dialogue platform for overcoming this multi-layered conflict between Egypt and Ethiopia, it would achieve an important diplomatic coup. In Egypt, at any rate, the expanded BRICS is expected to gain greater economic and political clout and its increasing geopolitical significance cannot be ruled out.

Iran - ways out of isolation

The Iranian government perceives the BRICS as an anti-Western alliance and a counter-model to the Western world. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi sees his country's inclusion in the BRICS as an opportunity to integrate Iran more closely into global trade and escape US economic sanctions. However, there is a deeper geopolitical calculation behind the BRICS' attempt to "get rid of the dollar in trade and economic transactions between its member states and also benefit from [transactions in] local currencies": the establishment of an alternative financial system that can be used to push back the (financial) power of the USA. Iranian media assume that an expanded BRICS will "disarm" the USA - i.e. gain power vis-à-vis Western players. The main hope in Tehran is that the enlarged BRICS will gain so much economic weight that the heavily sanctioned Islamic Republic could also benefit economically in the future - even if official representatives are still cautious and fear that financial gains could be rather small due to the reluctance of some BRICS members. Nevertheless, a clear gain in prestige is seen for the BRICS. Iran sees its BRICS membership as a possible way of mitigating the impact of US economic sanctions on Iran. In terms of domestic policy, Raisi's supporters see Iran's inclusion in the BRICS alliance as confirmation of the president's foreign policy course, which has taken a tougher stance towards the West than his more moderate predecessor, Hassan Rouhani. 

Saudi Arabia - geopolitical balancing act

Saudi Arabia does not see the BRICS as an anti-Western counter-model, but wants to diversify its relationships and, in doing so, manage BRICS membership as one of several complementary partnerships. The fact that the Kingdom has not yet accepted the BRICS invitation - but is likely to do so - shows that Riyadh is taking a cautious approach to building new collaborations and at the same time does not want to sacrifice its traditional partnerships, especially those with the USA. The Saudi government therefore presents BRICS membership more as a practical cooperation. In contrast, the public and the state-orientated media are convinced that the expansion of the BRICS represents a major geopolitical shift. In particular, the growing importance of the BRICS bloc compared to the G7 and a possible departure from the previously undisputed hegemony of the US dollar in world trade are emphasised. The Kingdom assumes that the BRICS will gain economic weight in the medium term. Conversely, Saudi Arabia is also aware of its own importance in an expanded BRICS - for example, Saudi deposits would be a benefit for the New Development Bank and payment processing in local currencies would have an impact on the mineral markets if the world's largest oil exporter were involved. At the summit in Johannesburg, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan therefore also emphasised the importance of Saudi Arabia with regard to its role as an energy producer and the Kingdom's strategic location at the crossroads of three continents and important waterways for world trade. Saudi Arabia would like to utilise this weight to help shape the BRICS in the future. By establishing an additional political foothold, Riyadh also wants to increase its influence with traditional partners, especially in Washington.

United Arab Emirates - balanced strategic and economic relations 

Abu Dhabi sees the BRICS as an expression of a multipolar world order rather than a counterpoint to the West. The Emirati leadership does not want the country's inclusion to be seen as a provocation in the West, but rather as a logical result of the multipolar approach of its foreign policy, which seeks cooperation with all partners. This approach was emphasised in the context of the UAE's inclusion in BRICS by Foreign Minister Abdallah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in his reference to the importance of maintaining balanced strategic and economic relations. While economic interests, especially closer trade, exchange and connectivity with the BRICS members play a prominent role in the UAE's foreign trade strategy, the Emirates also want to position themselves as a strategic hub between different poles of international politics. In this context, joining BRICS is therefore also a geopolitical vehicle and is seen as a positive development for the country in any case. In contrast to Saudi Arabia, the UAE made a quick commitment in response to the invitation to join BRICS. Economically, the country anticipates easier access to the markets of the member states and politically, it is coming closer to its foreign policy goal of enabling multipolarity.

Overall, the BRICS expansion is being closely monitored in the region. In general, a fundamental geopolitical shift and a weakening of the West are perceived. The BRICS expansion is interpreted as a further milestone in the emergence of a new global order.”