Turning economic cooperation into shared prosperity
The UAE is leveraging its membership in BRICS to promote economic cooperation, focusing on tangible trade benefits, resilient supply chains, and sustainable development. By drawing on the success of the UAE-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, the article argues that BRICS can foster growth through deeper institutional and societal connectivity.
Why it matters
As global economic uncertainty rises, the UAE's strategy highlights how emerging multilateral blocs are shifting focus toward practical, cross-border economic integration to counter protectionist trends.
At a time when the international landscape is becoming more complex and uncertain, the case for meaningful international cooperation has rarely been stronger. Its value must increasingly be measured by its ability to deliver stability, resilience and shared prosperity.
For the United Arab Emirates (UAE), this is central to how it approaches BRICS. Since becoming a full member in January 2024, its engagement has been guided by a straightforward principle: economic cooperation should create tangible opportunities for countries, businesses and people.
The strength of BRICS lies partly in its diversity. Its members bring different economic structures, resources, capabilities and development experiences — from major producers and consumers to sources of capital, investment destinations, energy exporters and manufacturing centres.
These differences create opportunities for complementarity — connecting markets, capital, capabilities and ideas in ways that can benefit its members, and by extension the Global South.
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