Saudi Arabia wants to join BRICS, says South African president Cyril Ramaphosa

Saudi Arabia wants to join the BRICS alliance, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has stated, signaling a dramatic potential expansion of the bloc amid growing tensions with the US over the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

Ramaphosa told reporters of Riyadh’s BRICS inquiry, as he wrapped up his two-day state visit to the desert kingdom on Sunday. The trip included meetings with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other Saudi leaders. “The crown prince did express Saudi Arabia’s desire to be part of BRICS, and they are not the only country,” Ramaphosa said.

The group is scheduled to meet next year in Johannesburg for its annual summit.


“The BRICS nations are going to be meeting in a summit next year under the chairship of South Africa, and the matter is going to be under consideration,” Ramaphosa said. “And already, a number of countries or nations have been making approaches to the other member countries, and we’ve given them the same answer – to say it’ll be discussed by the BRICS partners themselves, five of them, and thereafter a decision will be made.”

The Saudi-South Africa talks came amid a row between Riyadh and Washington over OPEC’s decision to cut production quotas by 2 million barrels a day. US President Joe Biden last week threatened Saudi Arabia with unspecified “consequences” and accused the longtime ally of siding with Russia in the Ukraine crisis. US lawmakers have called for cutting off cooperation with Saudi Arabia, such as halting arms sales or withdrawing military support.