The emerging world order is shifting and becoming solidified as nation states attempt to reshape their global image. The key element for leaders in this process is controlling the narrative of what the world believes about their domains of control and their intentions when engaging with other governments.
BRICS is a community of states that have been already defined as emerging powers. The establishment is a great symbolic leap for members on the international stage because it gives their reputation a reliable foundation when it comes to their potential flourishment in the coming decades. Riyadh is now interested in obtaining that same status. In December, meetings between Xi Jinping and Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud suggested that China and Saudi Arabia should have a more compatible relationship.
Beijing has comprehended the immense advantage of investing in the Arab world mainly because of their vast energy expenditures. The ties between the two have already strengthened in that manner when the Chinese decided to allow the selling of Saudi oil using the Yuan. This gives the Saudis a new market sphere to saturate and aids Beijing’s growing influence through the leverage of spreading its currency to every corner of the globe.
If membership becomes available to Saudi Arabia, the impact on the U.S. will be detrimental in terms of dollar hegemony. India and China are the largest importers of oil, which justifies their interest in developing closer ties to the country that exports it the most. A deal with the CCP could change the currency used to purchase Saudi Oil from the dollar to the Yuan, eliminating Washington’s 7 trillion dollar benefits with the Crown Prince. Both parties would benefit from Saudi Arabia entering the BRICS community, while threatening the stability of U.S. dominance within the international world order.
Just like how China has their 2049 plan, Belt and Road Initiative, and other strategies, Saudi Arabia has constructed their own 2030 Plan, with Arab culture at the center of it. On the official website of the roadmap, the author explains that the initiative will “ harness the strengths God bestowed upon us,” to connect the Islamic world. This is a major idea that should not be overlooked because it underlines how imperative the fixation of religion will be on this modern mission. The advantage of capitalizing on this message is that the 24% of the world population devoted to Islam could potentially view the idea as a unifying force. Appealing those 1.8 billion people to Saudi Arabia will help the state become a part of the center of the Islamic culture, with the notion that it will be sustained and relevant in international relationships. That dynamic has already begun to form with mega projects such as The Line and a new 500 billion dollar ski resort. These plans will harness the power of tapping into the imagination of what people believe the future to be, with Saudi Arabia at the core of those thoughts.
This article was written by GoodHistory contributor José Garcia for Atlas News
