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A bloc comprised of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa agreed on Thursday to admit more nations in a move aimed at accelerating its push to reshuffle a world order it sees as outdated.

The group – known as BRICS – opened the door for Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina and the United Arab Emirates to join. They also signaled future enlargement, potentially paving the way for the admission of dozens more countries.

The decision to admit these particular countries could help BRICS attain its goal of being a champion of the Global South. The six new candidates will formally become members on Jan. 1, 2024.

Despite its goal of greater influence, internal divisions have long hobbled BRICS ‘s ambitions of becoming a major player on the world stage. These divisions mainly focus on what kind of role BRICS should play with the West and its alliances.