The BRICS group aims to promote cooperation in trade, investment, and development, counterbalancing Western-dominated global institutions like the IMF or World Bank.
They focus on economic growth, sustainable development, and geopolitical influence, often pushing for a multipolar world order.
Their 17th annual summit opened in Brazil, bringing together leaders and high-level delegations from the now 11-member economic bloc to discuss trade, technology, climate change, and global governance.
Hosted by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the two-day summit takes place against a backdrop of global instability, including the ongoing war in Ukraine, Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran, and what BRICS members describe as Western economic dominance.
Muslim countries attending include Saudi Arabia, Iran, the UAE, Egypt and Indonesia.
BRICS, originally formed in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, expanded to include South Africa in 2010 and has since grown significantly.
In the last year, it welcomed several Muslim-majority states as full members — including Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia — reflecting a broader geopolitical shift toward inclusion of the Islamic world in multipolar power frameworks.
The bloc also created a new category of “partner countries,” now including Vietnam, Nigeria, and Malaysia, another Muslim-majority country.
Representing nearly half the world’s population and more than a quarter of global economic output, the bloc is positioning itself as a champion of the Global South and a counterweight to Western-led groups such as the G7.
The leaders are expected to strongly criticise the United States, particularly President Donald Trump’s reimposed tariff policies, which they argue are damaging to global trade.
However, tensions and diverging interests within the bloc remain visible. According to diplomatic sources, some countries are pushing for a tougher stance on Israel over its war in Gaza and strikes on Iranian territory.
Source: 5 PILLARS
