BRICS expansion: Saudi Arabia officially joins bloc

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said in August that the kingdom would study the details before the proposed January 1 joining date and take "the appropriate decision," according to Reuters.

The BRICS group was "a beneficial and important channel" to strengthen economic cooperation, said Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan.

The leaders of the five BRICS nations—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—approved the group's expansion in August by adding Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

According to the Reuters report, the U.S.-China geopolitical tensions and China's growing influence within the monarchy coincide with Saudi Arabia's admission.

Saudi Arabia is worried that Washington is not as dedicated to the security of the Gulf as it once was; therefore, although it maintains close connections with the United States, it has become more independent.

One reason for the calls for the BRICs to grow and become a stronger alliance against the West is that China is Saudi Arabia's largest oil consumer, the report said.

The group's stated goal to represent the Global South could be furthered by the expansion, notwithstanding Argentina's announcement in November that it would not accept an offer to join.

(With UNI/Sputnik inputs)