Balance, not rivalry: Saqr Ghobash charts BRICS’ path to deeper global responsibility
Speaking at the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in New Delhi, the Speaker of the Federal National Council outlined a vision for the grouping that transcends economic measurement and centres on fostering equilibrium within the international order.
The world’s capacity to generate transformation has outpaced its ability to manage it wisely. This imbalance, Saqr Ghobash suggested, lies at the heart of why BRICS matters not as a rival pole in global affairs, but as a force for structural equilibrium and shared responsibility among nations.
Speaking to the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in New Delhi on 26th and 27th October, the Speaker of the Federal National Council addressed a gathering of parliamentary delegations from member and partner countries. His remarks positioned BRICS as something more nuanced than a mere counterweight to existing power structures. The group’s historic opportunity, he argued, extends from deepening international cooperation to ensuring that such collaboration delivers tangible benefits beyond the boundaries of its own membership.
The four guiding principles selected by India’s BRICS presidency—resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability—coalesce around what Ghobash called a comprehensive strategic vision. They reflect, he suggested, humanity’s broader capacity to navigate the transformations it generates while safeguarding the gains already achieved. Throughout history, he noted, humanity has overcome countless constraints: geographic isolation, disparities in resources, differences in knowledge among regions. This cumulative progress has created a world of immense productive capacity and unprecedented connectivity, woven together by an intricate network of interests that transcend borders and continents.
The UAE’s role within BRICS, Ghobash emphasised, flows from a conviction rooted in the nation’s own development philosophy. As he reflected, the UAE, under the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has long positioned openness, economic diversification, partnership building and investment in the future as enduring pillars of national development. The nation’s participation in this grouping rests on a firm belief that international partnerships need not be mutually exclusive. When pursued in parallel and grounded in mutual interests and equal respect, they complement and strengthen one another.
What distinguishes BRICS from other global formations, Ghobash contended, lies not in the aggregate size of member economies or the volume of their resources. Rather, it resides in the rich civilisational, historical and developmental diversity they collectively represent. This constellation of difference positions the group to move beyond the expansion of international cooperation towards deepening its genuine impact. In this context, he emphasised that safeguarding national sovereignty, preserving regional stability and protecting international interests constitute interconnected responsibilities that cannot be addressed in isolation.
The distinction Ghobash drew between BRICS’ strategic value and its structural role proved central to his argument. The group’s historic significance, he stressed, lies not in adding a new pole to the international system but in its capacity to strengthen balance within the existing order and foster greater responsibility in relations among nations. In advancing this vision, as we reported in our coverage of Ghobash’s recent engagements with international parliamentary bodies, the FNC Speaker continues to emphasise dialogue and cooperation across diverse political and cultural contexts.
The UAE delegation at the forum included Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the Defence, Interior and Foreign Affairs Committee, FNC members, and Abdulla Al Nuaimi, UAE Ambassador to the Republic of India.
What it means for Abu Dhabi
The Speaker’s address underscores the UAE’s deepening role in shaping multilateral discourse on global order and international responsibility. By articulating a vision of BRICS centred on balance rather than rivalry, Ghobash positioned the nation as a thoughtful voice advocating for cooperative frameworks that serve broader international stability. This approach aligns with the UAE’s long standing commitment to building bridges across geopolitical divides.
For Abu Dhabi and the Emirates more broadly, BRICS participation represents an extension of the nation’s strategy to maintain multiple, complementary partnerships across different regional and ideological groupings. The Speaker’s emphasis on how international partnerships need not be mutually exclusive reflects the UAE’s own diplomatic practice: maintaining robust ties with both traditional and emerging power centres whilst advancing national interests through coalition building and principled engagement.