UAE seeks to strengthen East-West ties through BRICS
The United Arab Emirates is using its BRICS membership to strengthen trade, economic and people-to-people ties between East and West. This was stated ahead of the group's summit in New Delhi, India, by UAE Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Advanced Science and Technology and the country's BRICS sherpa Omran Sharaf, The National reports.
According to Sharaf, the UAE sees itself as a regional and global hub connecting not only East and West, but also North and South. He noted that the Emirates' role in BRICS is to strengthen contacts between member states and expand Global South countries' access to other parts of the world. For the UAE, participation in the group also creates opportunities for innovation and access to new markets.
Differences within the group
Sharaf acknowledged that the interests of BRICS participants may lead to differences in positions on certain issues. In his view, this is natural in a multipolar world, as national approaches are shaped by historical context, demographics, geography and the geopolitical situation.
BRICS leaders are expected to try to agree on a joint declaration at the summit after foreign ministers failed to reach consensus in May. The UAE delegation at the meeting is headed by Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed.
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The UAE became a member of the New Development Bank in October 2021 and joined the group itself in January 2024. In addition to its founders — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — BRICS includes the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran, Indonesia and Ethiopia. The group says its members account for 49.5% of the world's population and around 40% of global GDP at purchasing power parity.
Cooperation with India and logistics routes
Sharaf called India an important trade and strategic partner of the UAE and said the two states had closely coordinated preparations for the summit. According to the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, bilateral trade between the UAE and India reached $101.25 billion in the 2025–2026 financial year, while Indian exports to the Emirates exceeded $37.35 billion. Around 4.3 million Indian citizens live in the UAE.
The UAE representative also called the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor initiative important. The project, presented in 2023 with the support of the United States and the EU, is intended to connect South Asia, the Middle East and Europe through routes bypassing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Suez Canal. The UAE is reviewing infrastructure project priorities due to the regional conflict and stresses the need for alternative routes for uninterrupted trade between East and West.
