RIO BRICS SUMMIT SHOWS A SOFTER POWER SHIFT

In contrast to last year's summit in Kazan, Russia, the Rio declaration was moderate, non-confrontational and intentionally toned down, avoiding a loud clash with the US administration

- BY SULTAN KHALIFA AL RUBAEI | Special to Gulf News

The 2025 Brics Summit was convened in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 6-7, 2025, amid heightened trade tensions triggered by a series of stringent tariffs imposed by the US and great geopolitical flux.

The expansion of Brics in 2024 and 2025 — expected to continue — has increased the bloc's economic clout and global standing. The Brics countries represent nearly half of the world's population and a third of global GDP.

Leaders and officials from 20 countries participated in the Rio summit, evenly split between full members and partner countries, to strengthen South-South cooperation for inclusive and sustainable governance.

A call for unity

The UAE took part in the summit for the second time as a Brics member, represented by a high-level delegation led by Shaikh Khalid Bin Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. That underscores the UAE's dedication to fostering its relationship with Brics and confirms its continued commitment to strengthening its strategic partnerships with the bloc, collectively and individually. The UAE currently ranks 14th globally among Brics' trading partners. In 2024, trade between the two parties reached $271.6 billion, compared to $150.5 billion in 2019.