French President Macron to host Saudi Crown Prince MBS in Paris for talks

What the report says

French President Emmanuel Macron is due to host Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Paris for a two-day state visit beginning Sunday evening, according to Al Jazeera. The visit opens with the closing ceremony of the Esports World Cup, which is being held outside Saudi Arabia for the first time, before bilateral talks and a business forum on Monday.

The discussions are expected to focus on regional security, energy cooperation and economic ties. Topics cited in the report include possible energy routes that would avoid the Strait of Hormuz, as well as the conflicts involving Iran, Gaza and Israel, and wider developments in Palestine, Lebanon and Syria. Several cooperation agreements in health, transport and energy are also expected to be signed.

Al Jazeera says this is MBS’s third visit to Paris and comes after a recent Saudi move to deepen security links with Turkiye and Pakistan through a trilateral defence pact signed on August 7. The article notes that France has long supplied weapons and defence equipment to Gulf states, while Saudi Arabia is expanding its role as an investor in the French economy.

The meeting also carries broader significance for Gulf security and diplomacy, as it comes amid efforts by regional governments to reduce dependence on US security guarantees and manage the fallout from the war involving Iran. Saudi Arabia’s plans to host Expo 2030 and the 2034 football World Cup may also come up during the talks.