The Gulf countries want to reshape the Middle East in their image
Stability and development is a tempting formula, but it has been tried before
UNTIL LAST month the BRICS, a diplomatic club which comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, had members from every corner of the developing world except the Middle East. No longer: of the six countries invited to join the bloc at its annual summit on August 22nd, four—Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)—are from the region. If they all accept, the Middle East will account for more than a third of the expanded bloc’s members.
This article appeared in the Briefing section of the print edition under the headline “Reorientation”
Briefing September 9th 2023
From the September 9th 2023 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionDiscover more
The Adani bribery case could upend Indian business and politics
The allegations against the corporate champion may end up being resolved diplomatically rather than in court
The war in Ukraine is straining Russia’s economy and society
Despite advances on the battlefield, pressure is growing
How will Donald Trump handle the war in Ukraine?
And how will Ukraine, Russia and Europe respond?
Elon Musk’s transformation, in his own words
Our analysis of 38,000 posts on X reveal a changed man
Elon Musk and Donald Trump seem besotted. Where is their bromance headed?
The precedents are not encouraging
The energy transition will be much cheaper than you think
Most analysts overestimate energy demand and underestimate technological advances