The French President, Emmanuel Macron, will embark on a state visit to Saudi Arabia in December, seeking to deepen cooperation between the two friendly countries and strategic allies.
The visit, scheduled on December 2-4, 2024, comes at the invitation of the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Salman, after the two leaders had a phone call on Thursday.
Macron in Saudi Arabia
The state visit will provide an opportunity for both sides to strengthen the partnership between Saudi Arabia and France in various fields, from defense to economy and tourism, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).
In a press release, the French President’s office said that Macron and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman look forward to “deepening cooperation in strategic areas” such as defense, security, energy transition and connectivity.
“Discussions will also focus on future investment areas, such as fintech, cyber and artificial intelligence, while France will organize the Summit for Action on AI next February,” the release added.
Furthermore, Macron will attend an economic forum while in Saudi Arabia. “On this occasion, [Mr Macron] will also participate in the One Water Summit, which will be held in Riyadh on December 3, on the sidelines of COP16 on the fight against desertification,” the French Presidency said.
Pursuing Saudi Investments
The announcement of the visit came after the French President met with a high-level Saudi business delegation at the Elysee for lunch on Friday, urging them to make more investments in France, according to AFP.
The French President’s office press release said that the objective of this lunch meeting was to “to invite guests to strengthen their investments in France, particularly in technological fields (tech, AI, quantum), the ecological transition but also sports and tourism.”
Macron told Saudi business leaders that their investments in France could open the doors for their companies to expand in Europe, hoping that Saudi Arabia will be a gateway for his country to expand its investments in the Middle East.
In 2023, Saudi Arabia was the second largest trade partner for France in the Near and Middle East, with robust economic exchanges in aeronautics, tourism and pharmaceutical products.
Saudi Arabia’s Massive Potential
France seeks to attract new Saudi investments, most notably in the fields of technology, artificial intelligence (AI), fintech, energy transition, sports, and tourism.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia offers a promising investment environment for French companies. Under its transformative Vision 2030, the Kingdom has embarked on a myriad of mega projects across various fields, including tourism and sports. These bold initiatives aim to diversify Saudi Arabia’s economy and establish its status as a global hub in many fields.
In the light of this, Saudi Arabia has announced projects to construct 11 new stadiums, as the Kingdom braces for hosting the 2034 FIFA World Cup. Moreover, the Kingdom inaugurated Sindalah, a luxury resort along the Red Sea coast and the first destination to open in the futuristic city of NEOM. These developments underscore Saudi Arabia’s potential as an attractive investment hub.
Cultural Cooperation
In recent years, Saudi Arabia and France have been boosting collaboration in the fields of tourism and culture. In 2018, both countries signed a landmark agreement to develop AlUla region, with the aim of transforming it into a premier tourist attraction while preserving its cultural and historical heritage.
On Friday, the Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, took part in the second meeting of the ministerial committee in charge of AlUla Development Project. The meeting was co-chaired by the Saudi Culture Minister, Prince Badr bin Farhan, and the France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, with the attendance of several senior Saudi and French government officials.
The meeting discussed the progress made towards transforming AlUla into a global tourist and cultural hub, in addition to exploring ways to expand bilateral cooperation across various sectors, including arts, antiquities, and sports.
Saudi-French Ties
Both Saudi Arabia and France boast solid relations, sharing similar views on a wide array of topics. The two countries have closely cooperated to address multiple issues and drive peace and stability worldwide.
On Thursday, Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, received a phone call from France’s Macron, during which they discussed several topics of common interest, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
During the call, both leaders reviewed the progress in bilateral relations, and explored ways to deepen cooperation across various sectors. Additionally, they discussed the latest developments in the region and the efforts made towards advancing security and stability.
Earlier this month, Advisor to the French President for the Middle East and North Africa, Anne-Claire Legendre, visited Riyadh to discuss the situation in the Middle East and review bilateral relations.
The Saudi Crown Prince visited France in 2023 to solidify ties between the two friendly countries and discuss regional and international affairs. Meanwhile, Macron visited Saudi Arabia in in 2017, 2018 and 2021, according to Asharq Al-Awsat.
