Why the Saudi prince won’t attend the BRICS summit in russi
The de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, will not attend the BRICS summit. Unlike most of the participating country leaders, the Kingdom will be represented by its Minister of Foreign Affairs. Saudi Arabia is not yet a BRICS member, and the kremlin has said that the country’s status in the organization will be clarified after the summit.
Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest oil exporter and previously played a role in the collapse of the ussr. However, since the start of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Kingdom has not complied with U.S. requests to increase oil production to offset russian oil.
Saudi Arabia is not an ally of russia. In 2020, after russia withdrew from the OPEC+ deal amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a “price war” erupted between the two countries. Saudi Arabia ramped up production, driving Brent oil prices below $30 per barrel, forcing russia to rejoin the OPEC+ deal and cut production.
If Saudi Arabia were to increase oil production again, it would severely impact putin’s ability to fund the war.
The likely non-participation of the Saudi Crown Prince at the BRICS summit could suggest that the Kingdom is cautious about deepening ties with russia and is hesitant about its future role within BRICS
