In this Oct 7, 2009 file photo, Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah (L) is awarded by Syrian President Bashar Assad with the prestigious Order of Omayyad, the highest national medal in Syria, at al-Shaab Presidential Palace in Damascus, Syria. [Photo/IC]
An unusually heavy downpour hit Durban for two days before the BRICS summit's debut on African soil, but interest for a better platform for emerging markets were still sparked at the summit.