The 18th BRICS Summit, held in New Delhi, India, from September 12 to 13, 2026, brought together leaders of the BRICS countries to discuss strengthening economic cooperation and developing practical partnerships. The summit's theme, "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability," guided the discussions, which focused on trade, investment, supply chains, digital transformation, and value-chain integration. The New Delhi Declaration, which emerged from the summit, called for greater cooperation on trade, finance, technology, food security, energy, development, and global governance.
The UAE's participation in BRICS, which it formally joined in January 2024, has significant implications for Africa. The UAE has increasingly used BRICS as a platform to expand economic partnerships with emerging markets. The Dubai Chambers chairman, Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, led the UAE delegation to the BRICS Business Forum, where discussions centered on eliminating trade barriers, strengthening supply chains, and deepening digital cooperation. The delegation included government officials, business leaders, and representatives of financial institutions and startups from BRICS member and partner countries.
For Kenya, a country seeking to widen its trade and investment partnerships, the UAE's growing engagement with the Global South can open additional channels for business, capital, and market access. The UAE-Kenya Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), signed last year, marked a significant step in this direction. The agreement is the first such deal the UAE has concluded with a mainland African country. In July, the Dubai Chamber of Commerce established the Kenyan Business Council to strengthen economic cooperation and build more enduring partnerships between the two business communities.
The UAE's role in BRICS also gives Kenya indirect access to a network of emerging markets. Emirati logistics firms operating in Mombasa and Nairobi are positioning themselves as conduits into Indian, Chinese, and Southeast Asian markets. This development should matter to Kenyan exporters looking beyond traditional Western buyers. The financial architecture being discussed within BRICS, including local currency settlements, payment connectivity, and the New Development Bank, could eventually reduce Kenya's dependence on dollar-denominated trade and expensive Western credit.
The UAE's active participation in BRICS discussions signals that Gulf capital is aligning with a multipolar financial system. For Kenya, the opportunity lies in recognizing that a small Gulf state with global logistics networks and deep capital reserves is now sitting at a table where the rules of the emerging economic order are being written. Nairobi should be paying close attention and positioning its own exporters, innovators, and infrastructure priorities to ride the currents that the UAE is helping to shape.
African BRICS members, such as Ethiopia and Egypt, are also leveraging their participation in the grouping to grow their footprint. Ethiopia's participation in BRICS gives it a platform to court investment beyond traditional Western channels, while Egypt has used the summit to push for energy investments. The UAE's bridge role, facilitated by its geography and business model, makes its position unique.
As the UAE continues to play a significant role in shaping the emerging economic order, Kenya and other African countries must consider how to capitalize on the opportunities arising from this new dynamic. By strengthening economic ties with the UAE and other BRICS member countries, African nations can access new markets, attract investment, and diversify their economies. The question is whether Kenya will walk across the bridge being built by the UAE's growing engagement with BRICS and the Global South.
Key points
- The UAE's participation in BRICS offers African countries like Kenya new opportunities for business, capital, and market access.
