The Arab League (AL) on Sunday organized a workshop in Cairo to discuss the role of BRICS for African and Middle Eastern countries, Paralel.Az reports citing Reuters.

Titled BRICS: Potential Roles, Challenges Facing African and Middle Eastern Countries, the one-day workshop discussed new memberships, expectations, and needs related to the mechanism.

New BRICS members from the Middle East region and Africa are "fresh weight that will contribute to shaping the BRICS' international agenda for boosting economic cooperation based on solidarity and supporting sustainable development," said Alaa Al-Tamimi, director of the Strategic Research and Studies Department at the General Secretariat of the AL.

Describing BRICS as "a platform for cooperation and coordination in different fields among member states," he noted that BRICS presents a new approach to regional-international cooperation that focuses on adaptation to global variables and achieving economic integration.

BRICS is the acronym for an emerging-market cooperative mechanism that initially includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Iran, and Ethiopia joined BRICS on Jan. 1, 2024, doubling its membership from 5 to 10.