Opinion | Saudi Arabia Stumbles Over BRICS

Saudi Arabia and Israel have quietly been negotiating a peace deal that would be greased with a U.S.-Saudi defense treaty. So why is Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman putting that at risk by joining the BRICS group of nations?

That’s the question that emerged Tuesday as Saudi state TV said the Kingdom has officially joined the BRICS bloc. BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, the group’s longtime members. They began as developing nations bent mainly on growth.