Saudi Arabia’s MBS visits Macron in France: What to expect

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, (MBS), is connected the 2nd time of his two-day authorities visit to France, wherever he’s gathering President Emmanuel Macron.

In this explainer, we outline what they are expected to sermon and analyse however their latest meetings physique connected an already evolving relationship.

What is connected the agenda?

MBS’s sojourn to Paris began connected Sunday evening alongside President Macron astatine the closing ceremonial of the Esports World Cup. It was the archetypal clip the Esports tournament, which includes competitions ranging from video games to chess, had been held extracurricular Saudi Arabia.

On Monday, Macron and Bin Salman are expected to motion respective agreements connected health, transport and energy.

French media reported that a woody to physique a Dragon Ball-themed amusement park, backed by a Saudi concern money and inspired by the iconic Japanese manga series, could beryllium signed.

Valerie Pecresse, President of the Regional Council of Île-de-France successful Greater Paris, told French broadcaster TF1 that the determination authorities had been moving connected the task for 18 months.

“There is simply a precise important gathering astatine the Elysee contiguous that whitethorn effect successful the signing of this agreement. We are waiting for the signature,” she said, describing the task arsenic “on the standard of Disneyland”.

Bin Salman and Macron are besides holding bilateral discussions connected determination information and their economical ties.

That is expected to see discussions astir vigor routes that bypass the Strait of Hormuz, specified arsenic caller pipelines, capableness upgrades and alternate larboard networks.

France is simply a large purchaser of Saudi lipid and mineral products.

Since the commencement of the US-Israeli warfare connected Iran connected February 28, shipping has been severely disrupted successful the Strait of Hormuz – the captious waterway connected which lipid exporters successful the Gulf are heavy reliant and wherever 20 percent of the world’s lipid and earthy state supplies are shipped from during peacetime. The disruption sent lipid prices soaring.

Before the war, a tube of Brent crude – the planetary benchmark – outgo astir $66. Over the people of the conflict, prices person climbed supra $100 – hitting a precocious of $119 aboriginal connected successful the war.

On Monday, Brent was trading astir $93 a barrel.

Bin Salman and Macron are besides expected to sermon the warfare successful Iran, the bloodshed successful Palestine, arsenic good arsenic developments successful Syria and Lebanon, wherever Israel occupies astir one-fifth of its territory.

Other expected topics connected Monday’s docket see planetary events that Saudi Arabia is acceptable to big successful the coming years, including Expo 2030, focusing connected sustainability and municipality innovation, and the 2034 shot World Cup.

How overmuch commercialized does Saudi Arabia bash with France?

The 2 countries person a reasonably adjacent trading balance.

In 2024, France exported $4.5bn worthy of goods to Saudi Arabia and imported $4.6bn worth, according to information from the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), an online level that compiles and visualises planetary commercialized statistics.

Refined petroleum accounted for 72 percent of Saudi Arabia’s exports to France successful 2024. Besides refined petroleum, Saudi Arabia exported crude petroleum and different mineral products to France. It besides exported tiny amounts of machinery, chemicals and cars.

France’s exports to Saudi Arabia successful 2024 were much diverse, including airliners, helicopters, state turbines, pharmaceutical products and perfume, among different products.

(Al Jazeera)

What person relations betwixt Saudi Arabia and France been like?

Sunday’s sojourn marked the 3rd clip MBS has visited France aft trips successful 2022 and 2023.

In December 2024, Macron visited Riyadh, wherever the 2 countries founded the Saudi-French Strategic Partnership Council, which formalised and upgraded governmental and economical ties betwixt Saudi Arabia and France.

The existent sojourn is besides MBS’s archetypal planetary travel since the August 7 signing of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, known arsenic the Mecca pact – the mutual defence statement betwixt Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan.

Signed by the prince, Turkiye’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, the statement commits each 3 states to dainty an equipped onslaught connected immoderate 1 of them arsenic an onslaught connected each three.

Analysts accidental the pact shows that Saudi Arabia is taking steps to diversify its information partnerships beyond Washington.