Xi Jinping Skips Gala Dinner at BRICS Summit Without Explanation

The reason for Chinese President Xi Jinping skipping the dinner has not been revealed. However, according to a PTI report, sources familiar with the matter speculate that Xi returned to his hotel to rest. Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed was also a prominent absentee at the gala dinner. He had returned home after attending the BRICS summit earlier in the day. Vice President Vladimir Putin and other BRICS leaders attended the dinner. Union Ministers Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman, Piyush Goyal, Ashwini Vaishnaw and Shivraj Singh Chouhan were also present. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath, Maharashtra's Devendra Fadnavis, West Bengal's Suvendu Adhikari and Assam's Himanta Biswa Sarma were also present. Union Ministers and Chief Ministers travelled in two buses from Parliament House to the dinner venue at Bharat Mandapam. In view of the BRICS Summit 2026, the menu for the dinner included dishes such as pulav pulav, papaya, porridge, carrot and gulal.