PM Modi Holds Bilateral Talks With Abu Dhabi Crown Prince During BRICS Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held a bilateral meeting with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit. The meeting focused on further strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and the United Arab Emirates, with trade, energy security and economic cooperation forming key areas of discussion. The UAE has been a full member of BRICS since January 2024, when it joined the grouping along with Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and Saudi Arabia. Indonesia later became a full member in January 2025, further expanding the representation of emerging economies within the bloc.

According to the UAE News Agency WAM, the country's participation in BRICS is part of its broader strategy to strengthen economic and trade partnerships, expand its presence in international markets and deepen engagement with emerging and developing economies. The UAE views its BRICS membership as an opportunity to create new trade routes, attract investment and develop stronger business links across global markets.

The UAE's BRICS engagement also comes as Abu Dhabi continues to expand its Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement programme. Since its launch in September 2021, the programme has resulted in 38 agreements, including CEPAs with India and Indonesia, both of which are members of BRICS. The meeting between Prime Minister Modi and the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince comes at a time when India-UAE relations are witnessing growing cooperation across several sectors. Trade and energy security remain particularly important areas, with both countries seeking to expand economic links and create opportunities for long-term growth and shared prosperity.

The Ministry of External Affairs had earlier welcomed Sheikh Khaled's participation in the BRICS Summit. In a post on X, the ministry said his visit would provide an opportunity to further strengthen the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, particularly through closer cooperation in trade and energy security. Prime Minister Modi also held meetings with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali at Hyderabad House earlier on Saturday as part of his bilateral engagements during the BRICS Summit.

India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13 under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” India's chairship has placed particular emphasis on development, sustainability and innovation while seeking stronger cooperation among the expanded BRICS membership.

BRICS has emerged as a significant platform for coordination among major emerging economies and for promoting the interests of the Global South in international institutions. The group's discussions cover a wide range of areas, including trade, finance, technology, energy, sustainable development and people-to-people exchanges.

The grouping now consists of 11 full members — Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the UAE. It is also supported by 10 partner countries: Nigeria, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. India's 2026 BRICS chairship comes amid major global challenges, including economic fragmentation, technological disruption, geopolitical tensions, climate change and growing pressure on resources. Against this backdrop, the expanded grouping provides opportunities for its members to cooperate on development, climate action, technology, energy security and financial resilience. 

A key objective of the 2026 chairship is to convert BRICS' expanded representation into practical cooperation and tangible outcomes. New Delhi is also seeking to build consensus among members with different economic and geopolitical priorities while improving the effectiveness of existing BRICS mechanisms.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from ANI.