Europeupdated 12m ago2 min read
Emmanuel Macron Arrives In Riyadh For Surprise Solidarity Visit, Saudi Agrees Extra Diesel
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Macron makes unannounced Riyadh visit to meet Mohammed bin Salman Saudi agrees to extend extra diesel supplies to France for as long as necessary
Macron in Riyadh
French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Riyadh on Wednesday for a surprise “solidarity” visit, and the Elysee Palace said the trip aimed to “demonstrate France’s solidarity with the kingdom in the face of the attacks carried out by the Houthis against its territory.” Macron met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, and the two agreed to consult on expanding security cooperation and on infrastructure projects to bypass the blockaded strait.
The Elysee Palace said Saudi Arabia agreed to supply extra diesel to France “for as many months as necessary,” while it did not say how much extra diesel Saudi Arabia would supply. Macron told reporters he was just “doing his job” to “ease tensions” over petrol prices, one of the causes of social unrest in France, and he said, “There must be no sign of febrility.”
Diesel pledges and numbers
The Elysee Palace said the United Arab Emirates had committed to about 100,000 tonnes a month, with a further 100,000 tonnes monthly to be secured in Bahrain, as Macron’s Gulf tour sought to secure and diversify hydrocarbon supplies. The Elysee Palace added that, together with Saudi deliveries, France had commitments for 295,000 tonnes a month, just more than 10 percent of its consumption.
Macron’s Gulf tour also included France sending military assets to Saudi Arabia under an earlier agreement to help protect the Red Sea port of Yanbu, which has come under attack from the Iran-backed Houthis. The United Kingdom announced it would deploy fighter jets to help shield the kingdom, and both countries said their support was purely defensive, as analysts warned the moves could carry risks of drawing the two European states into the protracted Saudi-Houthi conflict.
Security cooperation and stakes
The Elysee Palace said Macron’s visit to Saudi Arabia aimed to “continue efforts undertaken on securing and diversifying hydrocarbon supplies,” and it framed the stop as a response to escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi territory in recent weeks. Al Jazeera reported that Macron met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and that the two agreed to consult on expanding security cooperation and on infrastructure projects to bypass the blockaded strait.
The Al-Ain Al-Akhbariya account said Macron was received at the royal palace in Riyadh's al-Yamamah Palace, where they discussed the strategic relationship between the two countries and ways to bolster cooperation. The BFM account said Macron announced from Riyadh that Saudi Arabia was committing to additional deliveries of diesel for as long as is necessary, and it quoted the Élysée statement that “extend as many months as necessary the additional quantities of diesel we had obtained from them to guarantee the supply of our country.”