Macron welcomes Saudi Crown Prince MBS in Paris for two-day diplomatic visit

Bilateral meetings in Paris

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Saudi Crown Prince and de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday for a two-day official visit to France. The visit covers a wide range of bilateral and international topics, extending from competitive esports to the ongoing conflicts across the Middle East. The diplomatic reception follows an earlier official trip undertaken by the Saudi Crown Prince to Paris in July 2022. On the second day of the visit on Monday, French and Saudi delegations plan to sign multiple bilateral agreements covering the health, transport, and energy sectors. A French presidential official stated that these agreements reflect the strength of the bilateral relationship between Paris and Riyadh.

Cultural events and economic agreements

The program opened on Sunday evening at 18:00 GMT, with Macron hosting the Saudi leader at the closing ceremony of the Esports World Cup in Paris. The competitive tournament brought together top performers across digital and board disciplines ranging from computer games to chess. The event, which has received substantial backing from Mohammed bin Salman, took place outside Saudi Arabia for the first time. Beyond the gaming competition, Saudi investment funds have examined additional leisure and entertainment projects in France. One initiative under consideration is a large theme park known as Dragons Ball, which is mooted for the Val-d'Oise department outside Paris. A French presidential official declined to confirm whether the Dragons Ball project would be included in the formal agreements signed on Monday. The bilateral commercial engagement takes place as Saudi Arabia prepares to host several global events, including Expo 2030 and the men's football World Cup in 2034.

Strategic partnership council and regional diplomacy

On Monday afternoon, Macron and Mohammed bin Salman are scheduled to chair the first meeting of the Saudi-French strategic partnership council. The two leaders will review regional security challenges in the Middle East, where Saudi Arabia acts as a close United States ally while managing longstanding tensions with Iran. Riyadh is also monitoring political and military developments in Iran in the wake of the US-Israeli war. According to the French presidency, Macron and bin Salman will discuss key regional issues in a setting that requires close coordination between France and its Gulf partners to foster peace and stability throughout the Middle East.

Press freedom protests and Khashoggi case

Four French journalist trade unions released a joint statement on Sunday condemning Emmanuel Macron for welcoming the Saudi leader to France. The Syndicat national des journalistes, SNJ-CGT, CFDT-Journalistes, and SGJ-FO denounced the two-day visit as an affront to press freedom advocates.

After a precedent in July 2022, this new invitation of the crown prince by Emmanuel Macron sounds like a provocation for the defenders of press freedom and freedom of expression.

The union organizations and human rights groups raised concerns over press freedom and state accountability, noting that the visit takes place eight years after the 2018 assassination of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Khashoggi was murdered and dismembered inside the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul. A United Nations investigation subsequently categorized the murder as an extrajudicial killing for which the Saudi state bears responsibility. United States intelligence agencies also assessed that Mohammed bin Salman approved the Istanbul operation that resulted in Khashoggi's death.