UAE seeks to strengthen East-West links through Brics, says senior official

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) aims to bolster economic and people-to-people connections between the East and West by leveraging its membership in the Brics bloc, according to a senior UAE official. Omran Sharaf, the UAE Assistant Foreign Minister for Advanced Science and Technology Affairs and the country’s Brics sherpa, emphasized the strategic importance of the UAE's position as a regional and global hub.

"We need to work with the East and the West," Sharaf stated, highlighting the UAE's role in connecting the North and the South, which includes trade, economic, and commercial activities as well as people-to-people relationships.

Sharaf explained that the UAE's involvement in Brics is focused on strengthening connections among member states and providing greater access for the Global South to other parts of the world through the UAE. The bloc, originally comprised of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, now includes the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran, Indonesia, and Ethiopia. Together, the members account for 49.5% of the world's population and about 40% of global GDP at purchasing power parity.

While Brics members may have differing national interests that can lead to divergent positions on issues, Sharaf noted that such differences are a natural part of a multipolar world. He emphasized that each country works towards its national interest, and views will vary based on historical context, demography, geography, and geopolitical situations. The UAE delegation for the Brics summit is led by Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and includes leaders from Russia, Egypt, and Iran, among others.

The UAE sees India's hosting of the Brics summit as significant, as Abu Dhabi has worked closely with India to ensure the meeting's success. The UAE and India are important trade partners, with bilateral trade reaching $101.25 billion in the 2025-26 fiscal year. The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (Imec), supported by the UAE and Saudi Arabia, aims to provide alternative trade routes bypassing disrupted maritime chokepoints, such as the Strait of Hormuz, following the Iran war in 2024.