Saudi foreign minister arrives in New Delhi for BRICS Summit

Saudi Arabia is taking part in the summit as an invited country.

Adding to the high-level diplomatic arrivals, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani also touched down in India on Saturday to attend the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, as the two-day gathering of the expanded grouping gets underway under India's 2026 chairship.

India is hosting the summit on September 1213 under the theme Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability, with development, sustainability and innovation forming key areas of focus.

These arrivals come as BRICS leaders and partner countries gather in the national capital for discussions aimed at strengthening cooperation across development, finance, technology, trade and people-to-people exchanges.

Building on these diplomatic deliberations, BRICS leaders earlier unanimously adopted the New Delhi Declaration 2026, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi describing the outcome as a reflection of a BRICS that is wider in reach and stronger in purpose.

In a series of posts on X, PM Modi said the declaration focuses on innovation, sustainability and people-to-people ties, with the aim of making cooperation more practical, development-oriented and responsive to the aspirations of the BRICS nations. I thank all the fellow BRICS nations and their leaders for its adoption, the Prime Minister said.

Highlighting the roadmap ahead, PM Modi said the declaration also looks firmly towards the future, with BRICS set to deepen cooperation in artificial intelligence, Digital Public Infrastructure, quantum technologies, startups, MSMEs, science and research.

The Declaration also looks firmly to the future. BRICS will deepen cooperation in AI, Digital Public Infrastructure, quantum technologies, StartUps, MSMEs, science and research, he added.

Complementing these strategic objectives, he noted that the grouping would strengthen the New Development Bank and work together on food, health, energy security, strong supply chains and sustainable infrastructure.

Marking two decades of its evolution, India also released two commemorative postage stamps during the summit. The stamps celebrate the evolution of BRICS as a platform for dialogue and cooperation and capture the priorities of India's BRICS Chairship 2026 under the theme Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.

Reflecting India's emphasis on environmental sustainability, the summit additionally witnessed Prime Minister Modi and BRICS leaders jointly planting saplings of the Banyan tree at the venue.

The Banyan tree has deep-rooted significance in Indian civilisation, thought and culture and symbolised the collective resolve of BRICS nations to advance environmental sustainability and leave a greener legacy for generations to come.

Meanwhile, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, departed from India after attending the BRICS Summit in New Delhi.

The summit has brought together BRICS members and partner countries as India seeks to advance its priorities under its 2026 chairship and strengthen the grouping's role as a platform for cooperation among major emerging economies.

BRICS currently comprises 11 countriesBrazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the UAE.

In 2025, Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam joined BRICS as Partner Countries.

The 18th BRICS Summit is being held in New Delhi on September 1213, with India's chairship centred on resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability. (ANI)